I Would Do Anything For Love
by Saringold
Summary: After finding a mysterious tome in an old bookstore, Razz decides to satisfy his own morbid curiosity and try his hand at the occult, fully expecting it to fail. When his spell succeeds, however, Razz quickly finds that what he gets is far more than he ever could have bargained for... (Based on a drabble by ollie oxen free. See inside for link.) (Crossposted on Ao3)
1. But I Won't Eschew Class

A/N: Hello folks! It's been a while, huh? Well, I'm back with another gift fic, this time for the lovely ollie_oxen_free, whose drabble about Razz summoning a demonic!Blue just gave me a slew of great ideas. I strongly suggest reading that piece first, but this is also a standalone fic. The original piece is here!

_Tap tap tap tap tap._ The eraser on Razz's pencil bounced up and down rhythmically as he sat in the back row of the lecture hall, trying to pay attention to the lengthy physics lesson. The class seemed to stretch on forever, and although it was over at 4:15, Razz just couldn't keep his focus on the facts at hand. Usually, this class was one of the few that he actually enjoyed taking this semester, and he held a high grade that he intended to keep. Besides, the professor wasn't too bad… for a human anyway. However, Razz found that unlike usual, most of his notebook was blank except for strange, rune like doodles that filled the margins. He had more pressing issues on his mind though, thoughts drifting back to the being in blue that he'd inadvertently summoned last night.

Caeruleum… Blue… the strange demon that had abruptly appeared after Razz had called for him with his makeshift summoning circle of flour and morbid curiosity. He bore some similarities to Razz, most notably that he was another skeleton, except that he was dressed in dark, flowing robes and had two tall horns that extended from his skull, one reaching vainly for the moonlight and the other pointing towards Razz as if to single him out as the demon's next victim. A wide smile had adorned the other's face, and he seemed to be in a far better and happier mood than the "I'm-going-to-kill-you-now-impudent-mortal" response that he'd expected when he'd stepped foot into the circle. Yet in Razz's opinion, the most striking thing about him was his eyes. That devil's pupils were perfect pools of blue, deep wells of color that threatened to drown Razz in their depths, but in that gaze also ran a current of power, desire, as electric as a lightning bolt and just as intense. If Razz's own irises resembled a pond, the demon's were a stormy sea, a watery grave of which there was no escape.

Razz rubbed his left arm, wincing at how tender it was. The tendrils that had manifested when Blue was summoned seemed to have left some kind of odd markings on him right after the ritual, and even though the symbols had disappeared, it still ached, an unfortunate acknowledgement that what he had encountered last night was not actually a dog-treat induced fever dream. Speak of the devil (heh, his brother would groan if he knew), Razz hadn't seen Blue since last night, after he'd left the other behind in a huff. Where was the demonic skeleton now…?

"Looking for me?" came a disembodied voice. From out of the carpeted floor flew Blue, robes reacting to the turbulence before settling down on the desk next to Razz. The other students nearby didn't even look up, as if they hadn't noticed a horned skeleton careening like a catapult out of the carpet.

"Ahhhh!" Razz cried, scooting back in shock and falling out of his chair. His left arm erupted into a fierce ache, and he clutched it to his chest, rubbing at it intensely to try and stem the overwhelming burning sensation licking across his bones.

"Mr. Aster?" the professor called, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah prof, I'm fine," Razz replied, entirely embarrassed and not appreciating everyone's attention focused on him. "Just shifted the wrong way."

The excuse sounded half-assed even to him, but the professor seemed to buy it and turned back towards the board. "Hm, alright. Well, as you can see…" The professor returned to his teaching as several of the other students stared at Razz strangely, but after a moment they lost interest and resumed ignoring the lesson at hand. Razz sighed.

"Oooooh, so your last name's Aster, is it?" Blue crowed triumphantly, eyebrows drawn up and eyelights practically shimmering in satisfaction at knowing another piece of Razz's identity. Razz swore that his grin had gotten even wider somehow, even though it already seemed to stretch across his whole face.

Razz grumbled in response. "I don't see how that's any of your business, but yes. I suppose it was too much to hope for that you'd leave me alone."

Blue ignored that last bit, trademark grin sitting smugly on his skull. "Well, if I'm going to properly perform the service you summoned me for, I'd like to know as much as I can about you. It'll make things so much easier!"

Razz looked at him, askance. "Uh-huh. And what exactly did I summon you for?"

Blue raised his eyebrows again, his grin shifting from satisfied to cheeky. "That's something you should probably find out sooner rather than later." Suddenly, Blue closed the distance between them, the alabaster bones of his hands caressing Razz's cheeks as the tips of his digits gently drew across Razz's cerulean skull. "However," Blue whispered, his cool breath leaving a tingling sensation that rolled down the side of Razz's skull like a tide, "if you'd prefer a more… hands on explanation, I'd be happy to give you a demonstration."

Now a blushing mess, Razz was about to loudly protest, despite the fact that he was still in class, before the bell rang, startling both skeletons from their stupor. "Alright, class!" the professor called. "Please complete your assignments for next time, and check the syllabus!" Razz took that moment to recollect himself before he packed up his bag, pointedly ignoring his chuckling companion, and made his way to leave before his professor stopped him. "Razz, a moment please."

Razz was about to protest, then thought better of it. It wasn't like it was his professor's fault that he was being haunted by some dumbass ghost demon thing. "Whaddya want, prof?" he asked pointedly, a scowl on his face.

His professor analyzed him, concerned. Razz bristled slightly, uncomfortable with how closely he was being observed. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You seemed… off in class today."

Razz recoiled as if he'd been pricked by a red-hot poker. He wasn't used to people worrying about him, and he sure as hell wasn't used to it from his professor. He must've really looked like shit. "Uh, yeah. Just tired from work; that's all."

"Hm. Well, take care of yourself Razz," his professor said kindly. "See you next class, and have a good weekend!"

"Whatever," Razz replied, the scowl only growing deeper as he considered what else he would have to put up with over the next two days. Without another word, he bolted out the door. Blue however, grinning in the shadows of the professor's desk, pondered all that he'd seen for a moment before flying after his new charge.


	2. But I Won't Poo Fast

As soon as he was out of the classroom, Razz made a beeline for the handicapped bathroom and bolted the door behind him. Whirling about, he turned to face Blue, who was floating near the sink and wearing a highly amused expression, eyebrows drawn up slightly and his grin tilted to resemble a smirk. "Ah, so you wanted a demonstration after all!" The demon frowned for a moment, surveying the tiny bathroom and making a face at the grimy tile floors. "I would have prefered someplace more sanitary, or even a little more atmospheric for such an event, but if you're that desperate for a display of my skill-"

"No! No no no! That's not- argh! " Razz interrupted, protesting vehemently. He waved his hands wildly, as if to keep Blue away from him even though the bright blue blush that framed his face seemed to suggest the opposite. Looking down, Blue could see that the rest of his body agreed, and let out a low, lustful chuckle at the thought of enjoying his prize at last. "Why are you even here?!" Razz hissed, derailing Blue's train of thought and bringing his eyes back up from where they were fixated on his crotch. "I didn't invite you in! You were the one who said that you needed a fucking invitation!"

Blue giggled, eyesockets closing momentarily and shoulders shaking in mirth. He considered continuing their original conversation, but decided to let it slide; after all, the longer the chase, the sweeter the reward, and his first mortal was quite the catch already. "You really are unobservant, aren't 'cha?" He pointed a thumb towards the lobby, looking far too pleased with himself for Razz's liking. "There's a sign out there that says 'Welcome, Visitors' and that was enough for me to get in here!"

Razz facepalmed, the sound of bone scraping on bone echoing like nails on a chalkboard throughout the restroom. "You cannot be fucking serious. The rules are THAT flimsy?!"

Blue shrugged his shoulders, hands out in a gesture of calm acceptance. "I'm not the one who made the rules, you know. I simply abide by them." Blue left his perch near the sink, sauntering towards Razz until their sternums touched. "Now, unless you actually have to use the bathroom, which you shouldn't, seeing as you're a skeleton, perhaps you should allow the rather annoyed gentleman waiting outside to have a turn?" Cupping his cheeks in his chilled digits, Blue whispered where Razz's ear would be, "Unless, of course, you'd actually like me to satisfy you here and now…" Razz could feel the other's snicker, and a chill rolled up his spine at what felt almost like an ethereal tongue on his vertebrae.

Razz was frozen, unable to comprehend any of what was currently happening as electric shocks jolted down his spine, electrifying his bones. He'd never felt anything like this before; what were these overwhelming feelings? He was drowning in endorphins and embarrassment, and this fucker hadn't even done anything to him yet!

After a moment, however, he heard several insistent knocks, indicating he'd already been in here longer than strictly necessary and was bordering on rude. Razz snarled at Blue and pushed him away, not willing to give him the satisfaction of getting in his pants that easily. He was a _demon_, for fuck's sake! Razz may have been stupid for summoning him, but he sure wasn't going to sleep with this happy-go-lucky lunatic. Besides, he had better things to do than yelling at a demon that only he could see in an otherwise empty college restroom. "This conversation isn't over," he said, trying to be as menacing as possible and retain some semblance of control over the perfect storm of shitty luck and occult weirdness that his life had become in the last 24 hours.

Blue did his best to hold back a chortle, hoping the other realized how adorable he looked. His cheekbones were puffed out slightly, fists clenched, and was he…? He was! He was stomping his foot on the floor too, like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum! Oh Satan below, this was too precious. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket, and before Razz could react, snapped a picture and saved it as his home screen. "Of course it isn't, silly. Now, I would suggest that you take my advice before-"

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Three loud knocks battered against the door, causing Razz to almost jump back in shock. "Look, you psycho!" a rather angry voice shouted from outside. "I don't know how long you've been talking to yourself in there, but _some people_ actually have to take a piss!"

"Wait your turn, fuckwad!" Razz screamed back.

"Oh, you wanna go, punk?! Fine! Get out here!"

"Maybe I will, dumbass!"

"Then let's see you try, shitstain!"

"Fine by me, dickhead!"

Blue sighed, pinching his nasal ridge and rolling his eyelights at the quality insults being traded here. "Razz, answer me quickly. Can I touch your shirt?"

Razz wasn't really paying attention, more focused on forming his next brilliant insult. "Fine, whatever," he responded flippantly, face contorted in concentration before he brightened and let out an inspired "Fuck you, ya cunt!".

Blue grinned. "Thanks, hon!" he giggled, and grabbing the back of Razz's shirt, opened a portal and dragged him into a shortcut through the Void. Razz didn't even notice the burning in his arm, too disoriented by the interspatial travel before they landed in the parking lot where Razz's motorcycle was parked.

Razz blinked, suddenly realizing that he was outside in the open air. "Uh… what happened?" he asked lamely, mouth hanging open as he tried to make sense of how he got to the parking lot from the damn bathroom.

Blue chuckled. "It's a shortcut! It's an ability that all demons have. It's super helpful for getting around, except that I can't enter buildings with it."

Razz looked at him, bewildered. "Right, ok. Sure. Let's say that makes any sense at all. What was the black-"

He glanced at his watch, and recoiled sharply, previous thoughts of the void forgotten. "Fuck! I need to get to work. Stay here, douchebag; I don't need you haunting me while I'm on the clock." He strapped on his helmet and turned the ignition, bike roaring to life under him. Sparing one last glance at Blue, Razz pointedly flipped him off before zooming out of the parking lot, headed for his job.

Blue floated there a moment, thoroughly amused. To think that he was getting this much of a reaction to his tactics, and it had been less than a day! "Mweh heh heh," the demon smirked to himself. Everything was going according to his expertly executed plan, and if all went well, his plan wasn't the only thing getting laid.


	3. But I Won't Chew Crap

"Welcome to Funnyburg, home of the Fun Burger," Razz growled grouchily. "What can I get for you?" He was wearing his work uniform, an unholy union of puke yellow and light violet that was as tasteless as the company's mass-mutilated burgers. His management-issued polo was tucked carefully into his black pants, buffed black shoes sticking to the disgusting, fry-greased floor. The whole ensemble was brought together by a purple and yellow visor that balanced unsteadily on his head, and his usual abysmal attitude towards the outfit only increased as he saw Blue laughing hysterically near the condiment counter.

The monster in front of him, a small octopus looking monster with a nice singing voice - Onionsin, or something like that - seemed to jump in fright before giving him the order. "Um, I would like a number 3… no, make that a number 5. Sandwich only- actually, wait. I want a combo…"

Razz began scowling, head drooping slightly as he glared at the obviously indecisive octopus. "Look pal, I don't care what the fuck you want to eat, but you need to either _make a decision_ or _get the fuck out of line so others can order!_" he yelled, taking his pent-up rage over the insanity of the last 24 hours out on the poor monster unfortunate enough to stand before him.

Behind him, Blue just snickered. "Aww, is someone having a bad day? Maybe you need to relieve some stress." He looked around for a few moments before his eyes settled on the menu. "So uh… where are the tacos?"

"We don't _serve_ tacos," Razz snarled, startling Onionsauce further as he squealed and blubbered something about not asking for tacos. Razz didn't bother to clarify that he was conversing with an invisible demon.

"-But you must have tacos," Blue was saying. "Every restaurant I've been to serves tacos, and while not all of them have been good, they've at least been available!" He turned to Razz and pouted, his eyes narrowing and his lip extending in a way that was actually rather cute- no, Razz! Don't even go there. "What kind of establishment is this?!"

"It's a BURGER PLACE, you fucking-"

"RAZZ!" his manager roared, stomping out of her office to stand next to him behind the counter. Onionsun looked like he was about to cry, but at a look from the imposing figure, he stuttered nervously and walked over to a dog monster who was running the other cash register and pointedly ignoring his unstable skeletal coworker. Thankfully, the dogs weren't nearly as violent as the Bunny Gang, a group of rabbit monsters who were part of the police force and were well known for their… unusual ways of dealing with criminals.

"What do you want, Alphys?" he retorted, rolling his eyelights and waiting for the yellow dinosaur monster to get on with her usual tirade.

"Your ugly mug and uglier attitude is scaring the customers! Besides, I need you in the back; Jerry's taking a 'sick day' so you're helping me burn burgers!"

Razz groaned, but didn't protest; he knew full well how much he needed this job, and quite frankly, Alphys' unusual method of preparing patties might be just what he needed to get through this horrible day. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Grabbing an apron, he washed his hands before picking up a spatula and retrieving the frozen hamburger patties, leaving Blue to shake his horned head in bitter disappointment at the gross inadequacy of the Funnyburg menu.

Alphys followed close behind, throwing the cold slabs of beef (still in the plastic) onto the grill. "Ok, punk! Let's make some perfect burgers!" Razz watched, horrified, as she promptly turned the grill to its highest setting.

"Alphys! It's not supposed to be that hot!"

"Of course it is, you dumbass! How else would you get that charred, ashy taste?!"

"They aren't supposed to taste like that!"

"How would you know?! You've never eaten a properly cooked burger in your life!" she shouted as she grabbed the buns. "Now! Watch!" She poured the entire bag of buns onto the grill, creating a carbohydrate pile that threatened to topple over at any moment. "Just leave those there! The heat will eventually reach the ones on the top!" Razz sighed, not willing to push the issue as he procured a package of produce from the industrial sized freezer.

"PERFECT!" Alphys exclaimed excitedly. She summoned a spear, the magical energies solidifying into the sharpened weapon, and brought it down on the hapless veggies. "Now _that's_ how you prepare the toppings!" she proclaimed, the decimated vegetables leaking sadly all over the dented countertop.

The two bickered back and forth as Alphys speared more vegetables, not even paying attention to the grill, until a small explosion erupted from the overloaded surface and flames unfurled from the steel appliance, heat radiating in waves throughout the kitchen and licking up the yellowing walls. Razz sighed, evacuating everyone and glaring at his overly amused manager before they headed off out to wait for the fire chief. Blue, who was already waiting outside, stared enraptured at the inferno before him, eyelights shimmering with joy and an enthused grin stretching across his face. His fingertips rested lightly on his cheeks, wrists pressed together as he watched the red tendrils of flame shoot up from the building, aiming to ignite the evening sky but falling just short of the setting sun. "Wow, Razz, I'm impressed! You guys cook about as well as my own mentor!" Razz just graced him with his middle finger and a withering glare, causing Alphys to give him a concerned look. "Razz, stop flipping off your imaginary friend and pull yourself together. You're not going crazy, are you?"

Razz opened his mouth to retort and gift her with the same finger, but was cut off by a wail of sirens, as loud as a colony of banshees and just as annoying, which signaled the anticipated arrival of the Ebott City Fire Department. Chief McCabe, a burly man in his 40s who had a handlebar mustache and a laugh that bubbled up from deep in his belly, hopped down from the truck and headed for Alphys, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Haha! Another grilling incident, manager?"

Alphys laughed, head thrown back and eyes closed as her entire body seemed to shake with the force of her laughter. "'Fraid so! I was teaching Razz here the best way to cook burgers, and before we knew it, our passion had burned down the building!"

Chief McCabe chuckled. "Heh, it's that passion that makes you guys the best burger joint in town." He pulled out a notebook, and as he took stock of the situation, Alphys gestured to Razz. "Well punk, don't bother coming in this week! It's gonna be a while before we're up and running again!"

Razz closed his eyesockets and shook his head, truly wondering how his life had ended up like this and trying to ignore the headache building in his skull. "See ya, dinobreath." He headed over for his bike and revved it up, intending to head home before an idea occurred to him. He needed answers; maybe he could go back to the store where he'd bought the book that he'd used for the summoning ritual and ask the workers there what they knew. Even if they couldn't help him get rid of Blue, they could at least give him some idea of what the Latin meant and he could find a solution for himself; he didn't trust any of the online translation tools to do the job properly, as for all he knew, he would just end up summoning an even bigger headache.

Nodding to himself, Razz drove away from the ruined building, figuring that Blue would catch up once he dealt with his hard-on for fiery destruction. Blue didn't even notice that he left, caught up in the flickering beauty of the flames. It reminded him of home in all the best ways, minus the screams of the damned. Ah, well. Couldn't have everything. With a happy sigh, Blue flew off to join Razz, gliding just behind his bike and high enough to remain out of his view. After all, if he was going to try and find out just what he'd agreed to, Blue wanted to be there to enjoy every moment of the despair, surprise, and maybe even anticipation that he knew would flash across that cute face.


	4. But I Won't Dispute Fact

Razz pulled up in front of the dingy second hand bookstore, illegally parking his bike and hopping off to glower at the small refuge he'd found so recently. The cracked sidewalk provided a snaking system of tunnels for the weeds that wormed their way through the crevices, trails of green that wound their way up the worn brick of the bookstore and disappeared through the gaps in the mortar. The windows looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years, and a dark blue awning that proudly proclaimed "Gerson's Second Hand Books" was ripped and torn in several places, whipping to and fro weakly in the wind.

Razz sighed and was about to step in, when he realized that he didn't technically have the tome he needed. He'd given it to Blue, after the smaller demon had almost stolen his notebook. Razz begrudgingly hoped that the other would at least let him borrow it; Blue was the one going on and on about how he needed to know what was happening, so…

"Blue! Get your boney ass here now!" Razz yelled, quickly checking that nobody was around to give him strange looks.

"You called?" chirped a cheerful voice right next to the side of his skull. Razz recoiled, startled, as pain lanced through his arm. He grabbed it as his eyesockets slammed shut and his jaw clenched, still unused to the demon's periodic penchant for appearing randomly.

Taking a deep breath that he didn't really need, Razz opened his eyes to angrily regard the smirking demon beside him. "Please. Don't. Do that." Razz hissed, not even bothering to hide the hint of venom in his voice.

"Why not?" Blue smiled, a hint of mischievousness and a flash of defiance shining in his oceanic eyelights. "It's fun to keep you on your toes. Besides, it's all a part of my training, after all~!"

Razz's sockets widened. "Training?! What are you even talking-"

"Whoops!" Blue interrupted him, a bony hand digging through his voluminous sleeve until he pulled out the tome that Razz had used to summon him. "I think you should go have your questions answered now," he said with a wink, grin growing even wider than usual. "But do be sure to give that back to me when you're done; it was a gift that you gave me, after all."

Razz just grumbled at him before snatching the bound book out of Blue's boney grasp and flipping him off before making his way inside. Blue didn't bother to follow, allowing a dark chuckle to escape him as he thought of the torment that he would soon see on Razz's adorable face once he realized what he had wrought.

Razz stomped into the shop, causing the turtle who was minding the front desk to look up in surprise. "Ah, it's you! Didja follow my warnings, sonny?"

Razz sighed. "Look, old man. I need you to tell me more about this book, because I'm pretty fucking sure that it actually works."

The turtle's eyebrows raised, eyes going wide. "Tell me everything," he said, wide smile slipping from his face.

Razz recounted everything that had happened, from summoning the demon, to using the book, to how the demon had agreed to… whatever he'd done, and how it had disappeared for the whole night only to show up again during class. He even mentioned the pain in his arm, reasoning that at this point, he just needed answers more than anything else.

"...And that's the entire goddamn story," Razz growled, tapping his fingers impatiently on the glass display case. Gerson nodded, flipping through the yellowed pages of the ancient tome and emitting soft "hm" noises every so often.

"Ah, here we are," Gerson said after a minute of searching through the entire tome, opening to a spell that Razz was now quite familiar with. He tapped a claw against the strange scribbles, the Latin writing unfamiliar to Razz although he had somehow known what they'd said just by opening the book. "This is the spell for summoning demons via a spirit bond. In other words…" Gerson looked up at the young skeleton before him, the serious expression settled on the monster's unsmiling face telling Razz that he may be in way over his head, "you sacrifice something of yours to the demon in exchange for their help. The more precious and irreplaceable the sacrifice is, the more powerful they get, which is why most who perform this spell offer their very souls to their demonic visitors; it's the best way to ensure that their wish is fulfilled properly. The reason your arm's been hurtin' is because that's proof of the contract; it's a reminder that you haven't sealed the deal yet, so to speak." Gerson sighed. "It is a heavy price to pay, young fella, and one that cannot be taken back. By performing this ritual, you essentially offered Caeruleum something of yours of great value, and although you did not specify what exactly that thing is, by saying that you are the sacrifice, it will likely mean your soul."

Razz stared at the old turtle monster, soul hammering in his chest. "Th-then… what the fuck am I supposed to do…?" He whispered, voice cracking as fear wrapped its scaly tendrils around his throbbing soul and a dense fog of despair clouding his thoughts. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was never supposed to- it was supposed to be a PRANK, goddamnit! Something stupid and silly to do to blow off steam! He steadfastly ignored the fat blue tears rolling down his cheeks, hanging his head and bringing up his palms to cover his eyes as he tried to convince himself that this was all a dream. No matter how hot Blue and those gorgeous horns of his were, Razz would much rather live to see his next birthday than surrender his soul to the strange demon, and it seemed that he would never have the chance. What was he supposed to do? What was he going to tell his brother?

"Hey, kiddo." Razz looked up warily at the shopkeeper, who was regarding him with a morose expression, gentleness mixed with regret and sorrow in those wrinkled old eyes. For a soul that had seen just about everything from the last several millennia, Gerson decided in that moment that this young man was most assuredly one of the most tragic figures he'd seen in some time, and the kindness in his soul compelled him to offer some small smidgen of comfort. "The one thing you can do is not make a wish. The longer you put off your request, the longer you get to keep your soul. So… maybe you can figure this out."

Razz shut his eyesockets, grinding his teeth together. That was all he could do, wasn't it? Buy himself more time. He chuckled. He supposed that this was the universe giving him the middle finger in response to all of the shitty karma he'd racked up already. Well, no sense in pouting now; at this point, he had to talk to Blue, and see what he could do. Even if Razz had never been great at procrastinating, he'd do whatever it took to put this off as long as he could. "Thanks, old man," he said, a weak smile crossing his face that ended up looking more like a pained grimace. "I'll see what I can do." Picking the tome back up off the desk, he got to his feet and went to leave the shop, opening the door about halfway before Gerson's head jolted up in remembrance.

"Wait a moment, young feller!" Gerson called, and Razz turned to him, surprised. "In all the books I've read, I keep seeing that the time limit is a year and a day! Maybe… maybe if you can put off your contract for a year and a day, it'll be nullified, and you'll be home free!"

Razz stared at him in shock. This old man had just taken away his last hopes of living a normal life, only to rekindle the flame in his soul that had rebuffed the very notion of giving in so soon. "S...so, I just have to not wish for anything for a year and a day, and this damn contract will expire?"

Gerson nodded sagely, proud that he could give the poor lad some hope. "Precisely! These books all say that contracts expire after a year and a day, so I'm quite sure that means that you're home free if you can last that long!"

Razz grinned, more than a little relieved, when Gerson regarded him with a serious stare. "However, you know that your little visitor is going to do everything in his power to make you form that contract," he warned. "I wouldn't put it past him to use whatever he has at his disposal to make you complete your bargain."

Razz nodded, solemn once more. "Then I guess I'll just have to beat him at his own game. Thanks, old man." With that, he left the store, feeling the fear wrapped round his soul loosening slightly. He would have to form a battle plan now, and just… resist Blue's advances. Ignore him. Do whatever he had to do in order to make it through this next year. Putting the book in his backpack, he was slightly surprised to see no sign of Blue, but welcomed the unusual silence, as temporary as it was. He slung his leg over his bike as it roared to life, and as he rode back to the dorms, his mind was filled with thoughts about the demon he'd summoned just yesterday. It felt like a lifetime ago now, and in the silence, he felt the waves of emotion he'd attempted to suppress crashing full force against his soul, fear, trepidation, shame, self-loathing, and more than a little anger at himself for doing such a stupid thing swirling within his soul. He didn't want to die. His brother, with all of his stupid puns and stupider excuse for a fucking car (how was that plastic Jeep street-legal, anyway?) still needed his help for when that cesspool of a dorm room two floors down got to be too much for even his lazy excuse for a sibling to handle. And… what about his friends? His professors? Would any of them even miss him if he was gone? Would his brother?

Razz sighed, blinking away tears before parking his bike in front of the dorm and grabbing his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder and walking across the street to the nearby park. He slumped onto the first bench he saw, the tiny grove of manicured trees strangely quiet tonight, and shut his eyes, losing himself in the gentle chimes of the wind as it wafted through the towering trees that ringed the small circle of benches. He closed his eyesockets, breathing deeply. The breeze caressed his cheekbones, the touch fleeting and ethereal, before it scampered off to startle the birds and insects settling in for the evening. As the sun began to set, trails of color painting the sky in a panorama of rainbow fluorescence, Razz was aware of the fleeting warmth of the sun on his bleach white bones and took a moment to breathe, his usual anger replaced by a dull, heavy feeling as he pondered how mortal he suddenly felt. He knew full well that resisting an arc demon like Blue was going to be far easier said than done, and while he was a tenacious little fucker, Razz had to admit that even he had trouble resisting the demon's charms.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there before he was pulled back to reality by the presence before him. Opening his eyes, he saw Blue hovering in front of him, long robes trailing behind him and his horns glowing in the dim twilight. "So," Blue cackled, his grin threatening to split his fucking face in two, "it seems like you learned something useful."

Razz glared at him, the anger that had fizzled upon learning his fate beginning to flare once again as he took in that demonic smirk, his rage at his helplessness and his own stupidity warring with his will to live. If he were a human, well, one might say that he was filled with DETERMINATION.

"Listen up, fuckface. I'm not going to make a wish, or hand over my soul, or any of that shit." Blue raised an eyebrow, his grin unwavering as he took in Razz's tirade. "You can't make me. I'm going to not make a wish for a year and a day. Then, our contract will expire, I'm going to keep my soul, and you're going to go back where… well, wherever the fuck you came from, and you're never going to bother me again." Razz glared at Blue once he finished, fanged mouth setting in a grim line as he regarded his adversary. He was not prepared, however, for the low chuckle that rolled out of Blue's mouth, followed by a full, demonic laugh that seemed to emanate from hell itself. Blue's aura grew in sheer size and strength as he was overcome with mirth, threatening to overpower every inch of the minuscule mortal daring to resist the Magnificent Caeruleum, Arcdemon of Pride.

"Very well, Razz," Blue chuckled. "I look forward to seeing how long you will hold out; that should make this game far more interesting indeed." Faster than Razz's eye could follow, Blue's hands were holding his own, boney white fingers ensnared by the demon's clawed phalanges. "You will be mine, Razz," Blue whispered, deep aqua eyelights drowning Razz in their sincerity and serenity. "I will make you mine, my dear mortal, and when you are screaming below me in my bed, begging me to lay claim to you, to take your soul for all eternity in exchange for anything your heart desires… that is when I will win our little wager, and you will truly know what a fool you have been."

With that, Blue disappeared as a strong gust of wind blew through the circle of benches, and Razz was left alone on the bench. He was trembling profusely as the demon's promise echoed in his ear, fingertips still warm as the only evidence of Blue's unbreakable promise. His will to live and overcome the demon's coercion was still strong, but in that moment, he realized just what kind of foe he was really up against, something ancient and powerful and so far beyond his understanding that it was like a bug trying to understand the world beyond the tiny blade of grass it perched on. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that he numbly gathered his things and made his way into the dorms, making a beeline for his room and allowing sleep to claim him completely the moment his head touched the pillow.


	5. But I Won't Shoot Back

About a week had passed since Razz had made his proclamation to Blue, and since then, the demon hadn't left him well enough alone. Blue was constantly in his space, laughing and calling him cute while he attempted to half-heartedly punch the demonic bastard, all while a hint of darkness overtook the demon's features if anyone even so much as asked Razz how he was doing. It was getting fucking ridiculous, and before he knew it, it was the weekend again, although he couldn't say that it was going to be relaxing.

Razz woke up feeling like fluff had invaded his brain before the memories of his dreams last night returned in a rush. He groaned and rolled over, burying his head further into his pillow. He didn't ask for this. He didn't ask for any of this. Razz would never admit it to anyone, least of all himself, but he was afraid. He was scared of what would happen if he greeted the demon with anything but hostility, despite how he was attracted to the other so very quickly. That alone was reason enough for making sure that they had no further contact; if Razz knew anything, it was about the betrayal of the ones closest to you, and he had no intention of repeating past mistakes. Besides… the demon didn't want him. It wanted his submission, his desire, his wish. But it didn't want Goudy Sans Serif Aster, aka Razz, aka the sans-ational (heh) screw up who managed to get him and his brother kicked out of his father's house and onto the streets when they were only children, who was here only because he had saved up enough from his odd jobs and had gotten a partial scholarship while his brother got a free ride for his incredible engineering skill. He'd never say it to Slim's face, but he was the sole reason Razz had made it this far, and to even think of leaving him alone in this world was enough to make his soul clench in despair.

And yet… even so, he kept having those _dreams._ Vivid dreams of Blue pinning him down, taking him, showing him unimaginable pleasure, mixed with visions of the demon dismembering him, showering in his marrow, breaking his ribs and consuming his dust with adoration and that dark, dark expression storming in the demon's eyes.

He groaned, blinking several times to clear his head as his hand clutched the threadbare bright blue bedspread. The sterile white walls were covered in drawings of all sorts, sketched on notebook paper, printer paper, even some on graph paper, and they fluttered faintly in the limp breeze blowing from a small white fan on the oaken desk, situated just in front of the single window that allowed a little light into the otherwise shadowed room. The desk was covered in art materials and textbooks, mostly art history but some touching on physics, chemistry, and psychology. Despite everything on it, the desk and drawers were neat and tidy, not a spill or scrap to be found.

An assortment of sketches of Razz's human classmates, fully colored landscapes of local lawns and lakes, gardens and parks, were all brought to life by blends of pens and scratches of pencil, connected to the closet and cork board by pins and tape. A cascade of watercolor paintings of other monsters were taped to the walls, including Alphys, a blue-scaled fish lady, and his brother. On a cheap metal folding easel situated on the corner of the faded, thin green carpet covering Razz's room was an unfinished oil painting, seemingly of a skeleton. The body had not yet been coaxed into existence by the practiced hand that had wrought the rest, but the head at least had a definite outline to it, a shimmer of blue sparking out of storming seas of cerulean.

Razz swung over the side of the bed, feet landing flat on the floor. He had too much to do today to be sentimental. He hurried to get on his sneakers, looking up the dog walking jobs listed on his to-do list, and headed into the heart of the city to collect his wagging charges and head out on his route.

He'd taken two steps out of the door of his dorm before he spotted Blue, sitting comfortably on the wrought iron fence and giving him a wide grin. "Morning, Razzy!" he chirped, mood as bright as the gentle sunshine that floated through the leaves and illuminated the gray sidewalk before them. Blue had been waiting for him here every fucking day, unwaveringly good attitude as offputting as always. Razz had seen him floating outside his bedroom window, peering in, until he'd drawn the blinds and left them closed. Of course, that just meant that the demon would stare at him through the common room window, causing his roommates to look at him strangely whenever he yelped at seeing the demon's sudden appearances.

Razz would have preferred to stay in his room until class, but his roommates were downright unbearable (albeit for different reasons) so he just didn't bother. He needed his space, although now that Blue was here, there was very little alone time to be had. The demon's propensity for caressing his neckbones and making lewd little gestures at the worst times still caused him to blush, and he hated how easily he responded to the other's touches, how much he wanted the other to- no. Not going there. But during class, when he sat in the park, just… everywhere, the demon followed him, sometimes striking up conversation but other times, just silently watching him work on his homework, seeming to take a keen interest in whatever Razz was doing. If the angry skeleton didn't know better, he'd say Blue was actually trying to learn more about him, but rationally, he knew that the other was just trying to find more of his weaknesses. There was no way he actually cared about things Razz liked.

Today, however, Razz brushed right past him, off to work. It was Sunday, which may have meant the day off for anyone else, but for Razz, it was his busiest day. At least he didn't have to go back to the Funnyburg for today; Alphys had shot him a text earlier that morning saying as much which was why he'd slept in until 8. He put on his headphones, turning "Lone Digger" by Caravan Palace up to full blast, and promptly began to actively ignore Blue, hoping the other would get the message and leave him alone. He could not be distracted today, not when his app told him that he would have so many dogs to handle.

Blue watched Razz's retreating back, smile only growing wider as the other walked away. So, that was how he was going to play it, was it? Well, if nothing else, he would just have to- he was quickly distracted by several hulking football players, led by a human that looked vaguely threatening, quickly making their way towards Razz. Blue concealed himself, watching intently, feeling a dark, angry feeling bubble up in his soul as the humans surrounded Razz. HIS Razz. Perhaps he would have entertained the notion of showing self-restraint and not harming them if they were friendly, but the malice that rolled off of them like a black tide was too pungent to ignore.

Razz's eyelights flashed in surprise upon seeing the others, but despite trying to get past them, they blocked his way, pinning him against a brick building as one of them grabbed his wrist. "Well well!" his captor said, licking his lips lewdly. "You've been taking a different route than usual, Razzy. My guys and I… we've missed you this week." Razz sneered at them, but flinched as one of them grabbed his headphones and tossed them to the ground, his phone falling out of his hands to join it. The jocks laughed at his distress.

"Why don't you go back to Mt. Ebott, fucker?!" one of them jeered. "That's where most of you fucking monsters live!"

"Yeah, bitch! You don't belong here!"

"Hey, howsabout he proves his worth with a good boning huh? If he's already here, he should make himself useful!"

"Yeah! He ain't got balls, but he sure as hell has a boner."

This went on for several minutes, the jocks all laughing at their shitty jokes and filthy catcalls, as Razz's face flushed in embarrassment and despair. Blue could only stare in anger, sensing the pain screaming from the other's soul, and he unconsciously clenched and unclenched his phalanges as blue fire ignited in his palms.

The leader, unfortunately, mistook Razz's blush as arousal and gave a hearty laugh. "Heh, seems like he's enjoying this as much as we are! Let's give him something to feel good about, hm?"

That was it. Razz's eyelights dilated in anger, and he snatched his hand away. Quickly grabbing his phone, he ran off, wincing at the intimate touches on his spine and pelvis. He wanted nothing more than to retaliate, to show those fuckers who was boss, but he knew from unfortunate experience that to do so would only make things far worse for all of the monsters who lived here. It was a lose/lose situation, and all Razz could do was take it and bear it until he graduated, and he could leave this wretched city and its fucking racists and perverts behind.

The jocks catcalled him and whistled as he fled, their laughter ringing in his ears, and he didn't stop running until his legs threatened to give out from the strain. He dimly registered that he had run all the way to Muffet's Place, all the way in the monster district, and sighed as he dragged himself into the purple and black building.

Muffet had been polishing her bar as he entered, about to greet him as warmly as any other customer before registering that it was him. She seemed surprised that he of all monsters was here of all places, and Razz couldn't blame her given that the last time he'd been here, he had complained incessantly about the grease and had yelled in front of everyone that he wasn't coming back. "Hello Razz," she said, nonplussed. "Can I help you with something?"

"One raspberry scone and a regular coffee. No cream or sugar," he grumbled, taking a seat in a booth. The bar was rather quiet today, surprisingly, and fortunately for him, the few monsters who were here were more interested in minding their own business that getting up in his. As soon as he sat down, his arm erupted in pain, and Blue was suddenly across from him in the booth, blank eyesockets boring into his own. Razz rolled his eyes, snarling. He didn't want to deal with his personal demon right now; he had enough of his own shit to worry about, and this wasn't the time.

"Why."

"Why what?" Razz spat angrily, staring intently at a chip in the table. Had it always been there, or-

"Look at me."

Razz felt his jaw clench, but looked up at Blue. The demon's anger was palpable; he could feel the other's soul churning in hatred, malice, and downright hostility as he regarded Razz, yet he could also tell that Blue's anger was not entirely directed towards him, and that brought him a small measure of comfort.

"Why did you not put up a fight?" Blue asked calmly, too calmly to accurately reflect the feelings of his soul. "Why did you not defend yourself?"

Razz glared at him, daring the demon to challenge what he was about to say but not caring about the consequences. "I don't see how it's any of your business, fuckwad. I don't have to tell you anything."

Blue's eyesockets closed as he took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists in agitation. After a moment, he seemed to relax, usual smile returning but without any of the pep and joy that it usually held. His eyelights were still out, the stormy void chillingly intimidating, and his aura grew, a miasma of malice filling the building and causing several patrons to look around nervously, unsure why they were so scared all of a sudden. The lights flickered, and screams of horror of several spiders echoed around the room. Even the sky outside seemed to darken, a storm suddenly brewing above the bar.

"**_Do not test my patience, mortal."_**

Blue's smile was unwavering as his shadow seemed to reach across the table and grip Razz's feet, the cold darkness preventing him from moving even an inch. The demon's aura was stifling, choking, and Razz heard himself hyperventilating as his mind tried to do damage control, repelling a threat far greater than what it could handle and preventing him from having a panic attack. An icy chill gripped his soul, a shiver running down his spine and across his entire body. His soul trembled; _he had overstepped he must repent repent REPENT-_

"I...I COULDN'T!" the answer burst from his mouth as if it had been shot from a cannon, the force of it causing Razz to slump back and regard Blue with unadulterated fear.

Blue frowned, eyelights returning and aura receding. Razz took several gulps of air as the lights above flickered back into existence and the other patrons warily resumed enjoying their food. "Explain."

Razz gulped, grateful to be able to move again. "I can't fight back. It'll reflect poorly on all the monsters who live here, and things'll be worse than they already are." He shut his eyesockets, hoping to prevent the flood of tears welling in his sockets from escaping, but it was a futile effort once he felt the splash of magic on his femurs.

Blue took a breath, calming down once again. "I see." His anger was far from satiated; he could smell those disgusting humans on his monster, and he was determined to teach them a lesson, but for now, he had to take care of his charge. He scooted closer to Razz, running a hand over the other's skull soothingly. "It'll be ok, cutie. I'll make sure of it." Razz just whimpered, not leaning into the touch but not rejecting it either.

After a moment, Muffet came up to his table, hesitatingly placing the plate and mug in front of Razz and walking away wordlessly. Razz popped the pastry into his mouth, chewing slowly and sipping at his coffee. The minutes passed in companionable silence, Blue continuing his ministrations, as Razz finished his meal. Finally, he stood up, left some G on the table and headed out.

"I'm going to work," he mumbled, turning away from the demon in the direction of his job; although he had missed the prime dog-walking hours, he just needed something-anything- to clear his head.

Blue nodded. "I'll see you later, then. I have some things to take care of." He didn't miss how Razz's shoulders stiffened or the fear in his voice, despite how much the monster tried to conceal it soon after.

"Uh… yeah. Ok. Whatever." Razz flipped him off without turning around, but it lacked the usual venom. "Don't come back, you fucker."

Blue smirked. "I'll see you later then, honey."

Razz didn't even break stride as he turned up his music, losing himself in the tune as Blue watched him go, eyelights blazing. He would catch up to his dear Razz later; for now, though… he was going to take out the trash. Blue smiled wickedly, dark desire swirling in his eyesockets as he thought of what he was going to do to those humans. They would pay _dearly_ for daring to try and claim what was his.


	6. But I Won't, You Ass

Razz's jaw hung open in disbelief as he watched the news, spoonful of dinosaur egg oatmeal suspended uncertainly in midair. Having finished his work at 8, he had plopped onto the common room sofa to eat some "dinner." While the green atrocity was lumpy and uncomfortable as hell, his brother seemed to like it, and since it came with the room, he couldn't exactly get rid of the accursed couch. Yet his hatred of the furniture was quickly forgotten as he'd turned on the television, only to see a "Breaking News" ticker dispassionately announcing the hospitalization of the jocks who'd harassed him earlier that day. Razz could only stare, unable to process what had happened. The announcer droned on, seemingly unconcerned as she stated, "...several students attending Ebott City University were found badly wounded in an alley from multiple stab wounds. The lacerations appear to have been made by sharp blades. The Ebott City Police has found no indication of magic being used on the boys, but they are not ruling out foul play. They have not yet awoken, but are expected to..."

The newscast continued, but Razz just shut the TV, screwing his eyes shut. As much as he hated them, a small part of him was sad that they'd been injured so badly. He had no doubt that this was Blue's doing, and despite how much he hated to admit it, his soul ached at the thought of them hurt because of him. It was all his fault. Again.

He buried his head in his arms, simply breathing in and out. He couldn't say he was entirely upset; most of him was overjoyed that they'd gotten their comeuppance, and he was quite relieved that he wouldn't be catcalled anytime soon, but… even so, he couldn't deny the regret and remorse filling his soul. What the fuck made his life worth so much more? What made him worth defending…?

He continued to eat his oatmeal and wallow in misery until a sharp knock at the window caused him to look over. Blue was knocking at the windowpane, a serious expression adorning his normally joyful features as the corners of his mouth turned down and his perpetual smile was locked behind a close-mouthed frown. Razz looked around, and seeing that his roommates were out (Phil was undoubtably home for the weekend, and his other roommate was certainly out drinking), he opened the window carefully, locking eyes with the demon floating before him.

"I need to speak with you," Blue said somberly. He held his hand out to Razz, and before his mind could even register what the fuck he was doing, Razz had grabbed Blue's hand, and the two flew out into the night with only the rustle of the curtains as proof of their departure.

The milky moon was fiercely aglow, silky strands of light floating earthward from the shifting heavens above. Clouds drifted lazily across the evening sky, caravans of condensation travelling unhindered, aloof and above the mysteries and majesties of the mortal plane. As Razz clutched onto Blue's robe, phalanges threading through the coarse dark blue fabric, fingertips caressing the silvery runes embroidered on it, he was bathed in the gentle glow of the full moon and he closed his eyesockets, soul soaring at the feeling of being so high in the sky. Blue held him bridal style, smiling down at him gently, almost possessively as they floated through the quiet night, pinpricks of stars barely visible beyond the moon's commanding glow, the celestial sentinel regarding their intimate tryst with an impassive eye.

At long last, Blue landed on a hill situated in a park near the very edge of town. They were surrounded by trees, no chance of being seen, and as Razz quietly disentangled himself from the demon's warm body, Blue sat back on his hands, simply staring at the blushing skeleton before him with a relaxed smile.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Blue asked. "It's my favorite place to go in your city."

Razz nodded, enraptured by the myriad of lights above him. "It's gorgeous."

After a moment of companionable silence, Razz turned back to Blue. "Why did you bring me here?" He tried to sound aggressive, but it came out more inquisitive than intended, and he could tell by Blue's chuckle that he had sounded about as threatening as a snow poff.

After a moment, however, Blue's face turned serious again. "I came to ask you a question."

Razz raised a brow ridge, but motioned for him to continue. Blue sighed. "Razz… do you think even the worst person can change? That everyone can be a good person if they just try?"

Razz looked away, up into the starry expanse above. "I wouldn't know. I'm not a good person."

"But you are."

Razz's head whipped towards him, eyelights wide. "Of course I'm not. If you knew literally anything about me, you would know that I'm not a fucking saint. I'm not-"

"No, you certainly aren't a saint, Razz," Blue interrupted smoothly, "but you're not bad either. There's still goodness buried within you, even if you choose to smother it."

Razz looked away, locking eyes with the most fascinating blade of grass he'd ever seen. "...Why are you telling me this?"

Blue turned his head towards Razz, eyelights locking with his. There was a long moment of quiet as the demon stared him through, and Razz could almost feel his sins crawling on his back under Blue's scrutiny.

"Do you recall when we first met, when I told you that you were my first mortal?"

Razz nodded, not trusting his voice.

Suddenly, Blue was caressing Razz's cheekbone in his hand, smiling broadly. Razz hadn't even seen him move. "Razz… you meet all of my standards. A mortal with a good soul, one who has been downtrodden, but not yet broken. One who wants nothing more than to be loved, cherished, and held close, acknowledged for your merits, who desires me to be with you despite knowing who and what I am. I believe that there is good in you Razz, a spark that has not yet been quashed, and so I long, with all of my being, for the time when you will give it all up, when you will humble yourself before me and ask to be with me forever because no other will give you what I can."

Blue's breath was ghosting across his face, the smell of clean spearmint invading his nasal cavity and pervading his mind. Razz couldn't even register the other's closeness before he found himself on his back, Blue floating centimeters above him. "This is why I am an arc demon of pride, Razz," Blue whispered, almost euphorically. "Unlike the demons of Lust and Gluttony, I don't answer every call I receive, nor do I make a contract and then leave your body and mind to rot here without your soul once it is completed. In fact, as you know, I rejected every call that came my way before yours."

Blue's head slowly moved down near Razz's ear, phalanges of his left hand tracing Razz's right ulna and radius. "I became an archdemon because I had the raw power, but others thought me soft for not wasting my time with every soul that called my name. They thought I was too naive, too unwilling to do the duties required of me. However, you are more than just my first mortal, dearest Razz. You are also proof of my pride, my patience to wait until I have found those with good hearts who, after being treated kindly, lovingly, and gently, give themselves to me completely. Incubating the hearts of the righteous, treating them with all the love and care they desire until, without duress or fear or as a result of some tragedy, they entrust themselves to me fully by conscious choice. Because they want so desperately the acceptance, the friendship, the understanding that I can offer them in a world that is so quick to reject those who are different. Oh, how that makes for a far sweeter meal than mindlessly devouring every second rate soul that throws itself at me!"

Blue started chuckling softly, eyelights hazing, slowly losing himself to his rapturous thoughts. "The time will come when you will need to make a choice, Razz," Blue rasped. "I wounded those idiots because they dared to touch you, dared to touch what is mine. _You_ are mine. I would have killed them. I was willing. However, to do so is beneath me. They still had the potential to mend their ways and become tastier souls, so I let them be. When they awaken, they will remember nothing, except for their desire to become exemplary citizens in the community, and perhaps one day, their souls will be ripe enough to pursue."

Blue pushed himself up on his hands, staring down at the trembling, silent skeleton below him. "I can feel your desire. You want me. And I want you. But not yet. You still defy me, and so it is not yet time. I want you to give your soul to me of your own volition, Razz, with your own consent, and in return, I will grant you whatever your heart desires most in this world. I do not just want you to make a wish; I want you to want what only I can give. A good person willing to give their soul to a demon because they have been shown love and compassion is what I desire in a soul, and as I said… you meet all of my standards, Razz."

Blue fell silent for a moment before closing his eyes, and when he opened them again, he regarded Razz with gentler eyelights, softer and less stormy than usual. "I do care about you, Razz. Very much. And even if you should think me selfish, it is because my pride, every fiber of my being, demands that I ensure your safety until you willingly give yourself to me. I shall protect you and keep you safe; I shall be your friend and your confidant, your servant and companion, until the time when you make a wish in order to be with me forever, because there is nothing left for you here. Because all that I can give you outweighs whatever you could want on this mortal plane."

With that, Blue gently leaned over and clinked his teeth against Razz's skull. "Seduction, despite the 100% positive assurances written in the Dating Manual I received from the demons of lust, seems to have had mixed results with you. However, I do so enjoy making you squirm, so please expect more of that, won't you?"

Razz opened his mouth to speak, but found himself unable to. His jaw clicked shut, overwhelmed by the many emotions assaulting his soul along with the massive amounts of information sifting through his mind at once. Finally, he whispered, "How do I know you aren't lying? That you won't leave?"

Blue smiled at him, not one of his typical grins, but a genuine, real, true smile that Razz could feel swelling in the depths of his soul. "I admit that I have nothing but my word to swear by, but I won't, Razz. I swear to you now, I won't leave you. Not until...well, you know."

Razz blushed and burrowed his head into Blue's robes, causing Blue to chuckle once more as his features returned to their usual levels of glee. "Well, I suppose this has been a lot to take in! I'll give you some time alone with your thoughts."

With that, he gently picked up Razz and took a shortcut back to the university dorm, slowly setting his shivering charge down in front of the door. Once again, he caressed Razz's cheek, as if it were what the demon thought to be a comforting motion. "If you remember nothing else, Razz, remember that I will never leave you," Blue said softly. "You are my charge, and no matter what will inevitably happen, I want you to never forget that." With that, the demon vanished, leaving Razz to pull himself up the stairs and collapse into bed, mind whirling with all that he'd learned as he felt the demon's kiss lingering on his skull.


	7. But I Won't Get Too Attached

Razz awoke at 5:37 AM, staring at the ceiling. Four months. Four months had passed since Blue had popped into Razz's life, and their relationship had improved tremendously from when they'd first met. However, Razz forced himself to keep his guard up every time he laid eyes upon the small skeletal demon, unwilling to allow his mental and emotional defenses to crumble completely. After that first talk months ago, they had spoken often about a variety of things, though their conversations were kept far more light than what had been said before. Razz had been vulnerable in that moment, too vulnerable, but he found himself unable to bring up his mental and emotional walls back to where they were before. It made him angry how easily he and Blue had settled into a routine, settled into this image of friendship and bliss despite all that he knew. Deep down, he had longed for a relationship like this, but necessity had him craft a mask made from slivers of his own emotions, keeping all others at bay as he shouldered his and his brother's burdens, determined to keep the world away. Now, he was in this mess, and for four months, had done nothing to stop it beyond keeping it as it was. He was ashamed of himself. He was also too proud to admit it.

Razz sighed, his subconscious conjuring images of Blue; fantasies, desires, anguished dreams… all of that and more danced behind his eyelids. Their discussions, some lasting long into the night before Razz would hurry inside, claiming to need sleep, were slowly making Blue seem more mortal, more kind and gentle than what his horns and robes suggested, and Razz knew full well that such a mindset would lead to his inevitable downfall. He could feel himself trusting Blue, believing the demon's reassurances that he wanted Razz to be happy with him. Besides, he had promised…

As his mind rebelled, his soul was getting uncomfortably familiar, even wanting to be near the demon more often, and that was far more dangerous than anything else. Blue was quickly becoming his closest friend, and while the logical part of his mind screamed at him to stop being a fucking idiot, the rest of him shrugged it off, saying that as long as he didn't make a wish and give himself to the other, it didn't matter. He turned over with a grunt, willing himself back to sleep so as not to deal with the conflict storming in his soul.

Later that morning, Razz's eyesockets fluttered open to the smell of eggs and bacon. He rolled out of bed with a groan before slipping on some worn black slippers and heading for the bedroom door, hoping that whatever his more religious roommate was making was going to be shared. He scratched at his floating ribs through his t-shirt, oversized royal blue sleep pants greeting the ground each time he took a step. Razz pushed the door open carefully, walking down the hall as his eyes closed briefly in a yawn.

"Hey Phil, whatcha- AUGH!" Razz screeched, as he took in the sight of Blue scrambling some eggs while frying several strips of bacon in a pan. However, while Razz was quite sure that's what Blue was trying to accomplish, he had to say that given how much of the egg had landed on the wall behind the stove and the bacon grease sizzling outside of the pan, Blue's technique was more… destructive than what Razz would have suggested.

Blue turned to him, smile wide and lightning sparking in his sockets to look almost like stars. "Good morning, sleepyhead!"

"What. The fuck. Are you doing here." Razz deadpanned, beyond shocked to see his demonic stalker in his dorm room, which by Blue's own admission, he couldn't get into unless he was invited in. Not only that, but Blue had seemingly lost his majestic horns and voluminous robes, exchanging them for a simple gray t-shirt and short pants that complimented his light blue scarf and sky blue boots. Only his eyes remained unchanged, the cerulean seas calm and collected as Razz looked him over in shock. He didn't know what to do. His dorm room was supposed to be safe. A place where he could sort out his feelings in peace, and take a break from being with the little blue being that haunted his every waking hour. Now, one more of his sanctuaries was stripped from him, and his soul clamored in a mix of outrage and discomfort, joy at seeing the demon forgotten.

"Oh, Razz!" Phil McCabe's chipper voice echoed as he stepped into the kitchen, clad in the letterman jacket Razz had borrowed from him so many moons ago. The second baseman for the Ebott City University Dogs smiled, somehow having enough energy to start the day before 11 AM, and without coffee.

"Your pal Blue was hanging around outside, sayin' he needed to talk to ya! I just let him in, and he was nice enough to make some breakfast!" Phil laughed, a hearty chuckle brewing in his gut and exploding outwards. Razz took a step back, avoiding the onslaught of spit that inevitably came with such intense mirth. "Anyway, gotta go to practice!" Phil called. "See ya later, pal!" With that, Phil rushed out the door, leaving a terribly flustered Razz with a widely smiling Blue.

"He...he's religious," Razz stammered. "Shouldn't that shit be enough to…?" he trailed off, not entirely sure what he was asking but hoping it would be enough to get Blue out. Blue, however, picked up on his unspoken question and shook his head, smile unwavering as he turned his attention back to the eggs, which were now on fire. With a wave of his hand, a haze of blue magic settled over the food, extinguishing the flames immediately as Blue gave a slight pout, put out by the fact that the fire had to be quelled.

"Nope! He's devout, alright, but he's only slightly more oblivious than you are and that protection only extends to his person and his room; you and your… other roommate don't have such a luxury." Blue's face scrunched up in disgust when he mentioned Razz's other roommate, and Razz couldn't exactly disagree with him. After a moment, his expression returned to normal, grin in full force and a hint of mischief in his wide blue eyes. "I made sure not to touch him as I came in, and his room isn't the one I want to see."

Razz felt a chill grip his spine, and he reflexively shivered at the purr in the demon's tone. "B...but, how could he see you? I thought you "couldn't be seen by mortals" and shit like that!"

Blue chuckled. "Not in my usual form, but like this, anyone can see me, and I can interact with physical objects more easily! Cute, no?" He fixed Razz with a lecherous look, and Razz had to turn away to prevent his blush from covering his entire face even as his mind still screamed about the breach of privacy. The tension sat heavily in the air, until-

Ding! "Oh, the eggs are done!" Blue crowed triumphantly, as Razz visibly jumped a few inches, startled out of his wits by the anticipation of something that wasn't… that. Blue put a generous portion of the over-burnt eggs and terribly overcooked bacon onto a plate, handing it to Razz along with a fork and a wink. "Enjoy!"

Razz paled as he took the plate, staring down at it. He had to come up with some excuse, any excuse, as to why he couldn't possibly ingest this hot garbage. He had to admit that while his relationship with the demon had improved, it was not to a point where he'd dare to eat this. "W-well, I don't trust anything you made! You could've fucking poisoned it or something!"

Blue rolled his eyelights, grin gradually becoming more of a grimace. "Razz, I have absolutely no reason to poison you, seeing as you're no help to me dead, and I'm quite sure that you'd rather live as well." Blue stepped closer, his aqua pools meeting Razz's own curious yet distrustful eyelights, a hint of hurt swimming within. "I would've thought that we'd be beyond this distrustful act by now, but if you'd like, I'll prove it." Blue grabbed the fork he'd given Razz, eating a bite of the eggs and a strip of bacon off the plate, not seeming to care that it was inedible to mortals. After about a minute of waiting, he smiled. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Razz eyed him suspiciously and tried to think of another out, but Blue's excited gaze mixed with more than a little warning convinced him to just play along for now. He went to sit on the sofa, plate in hand, and groaned as the lumpy green loveseat threatened to swallow him whole. After a minute of fidgeting, he finally found his balance, and hesitantly picked at the meal. Blue sat beside him expectantly, waiting for Razz's undoubtedly positive reaction.

Razz had barely put the bite in his mouth before his eyes went wide and he had to force himself to put the rest in. These were fucking disgusting. What kind of idiot could mess up eggs this badly?! He was contemplating spitting them out before noticing that Blue was waiting patiently, staring at him, causing him to hide his pained grimace before responding. "Uh, thanks for the eggs. They're-"

Everything stopped. Razz suddenly became aware of the pits of black that replaced the calm cerulean seas of Blue's eyes, unfathomable depths boring into him as the demon's smile stretched ever wider, threatening to crack his face in two. He suddenly felt that his next words were undoubtedly more important than any he would ever utter again, their weight heavy behind his teeth. "They're what, Razz?" Blue whispered predatorily. Razz swallowed, feeling the lump mash together as it feel like a stone down his throat. "...Delicious."

Blue's brows rose in glee as his eyesockets widened, grin becoming ever larger. "Is that so! Glad you liked it! I guess that means you'll eat all of it!"

Razz felt his eyelights shrink. "Uh… I actually can't. I need to… uh… work on my art! Yep! Thanks for the meal, though!" He quickly scraped the eggs back into the bowl before running back into his room, slamming the door closed. He collapsed against it, sighing. He didn't want to lie to Blue; he really did value talking to the demon, as strange as that was, but he also couldn't risk an early death by his cooking or by the aftermath of not eating it. Besides… seeing Blue in his space, the fact that the demon was even closer to him now, made him worry about how quickly he was slipping down a treacherous slope, ever closer to losing his soul.

After a moment, he pulled himself up to his corner easel, intending to work more on his painting. After a few moments, however, there was a knock at his door. Razz's fist clenched, a wave of anger rushing through him at the intrusion. "W...what the fuck do you want, Blue?" he growled.

"I want to come in," came the simple answer.

"No."

"Why not? It's been a few months, and..."

"Because this is the one place where you can't get me!" Razz roared, suddenly fed up with the demon's insistence. He had to keep his distance. He had to! "I don't want you anywhere near me! You're so fucking annoying!"

A lasting silence passed, and Razz tried to ignore the sound of crying he thought he heard from behind the door, despite his soul clenching at the soft sobs.

"...So you still don't trust me? Even after I promised you that I was truly invested in your best interests? Even after everything we've talked about, everything we've said?"

Razz tensed, clenching his eyes shut. "No," he snarled. "I'll never trust you. I know how easily promises can be broken, and I can't trust that a _demon_ of all things will keep their word."

Silence rang loudly throughout the room, the lack of noise deafening as Razz picked up his oil paint again to continue his painting. He almost missed the soft response that floated from under the crack in the door, plaintive and weary.

"Is that so… well, I'll leave you to it, then."

The sound of silence returned, many minutes of nothing following soon after. Razz closed his eyes, unwilling to look outside and see if the demon was still there. This was for the best; he had to break off this relationship quickly before he fell any deeper. He had to survive 8 more months and a day without making a request of Blue if he was going to live, and Razz truly did want to live. Yet… his soul dimmed at the thought of pushing Blue away. Nobody understood him like the tiny demon did, not even his own brother, who was content to waste his time drinking and smoking his life away to forget everything that had made him who he was. His conversations with Blue, about everything from physics to art, made him feel like someone, anyone in this world cared about him and who he was. It was just his luck that the one person who did was a fucking demon, and that bastard had invaded his space without a second thought. Argh! Why did he feel so conflicted?! Some nights, his soul felt like it was about to rip in two from the conflicting emotions.

Razz snarled. He couldn't fall into this trap. He attacked the canvas with the oil paint, dragging the figure of a horned skeleton out of the paint and pinning it to the canvas, a martyr for his own swirling emotion. He painted for the rest of the afternoon, leaving him stranded in the center of his whirlpool of feelings, the storm of rage, self-loathing, and the desire to protect himself warring with the warmth of his feelings for the diminutive demon who'd changed his life forever. He trusted Blue, but he also feared him. He appreciated that the demon could see past who others thought he was and evaluate him for who he was, but that vulnerability scared him; he had put up his domineering front back when he and Papyrus were children, and he had no intention of taking it down for a demon he'd met only a few months ago, who only wanted him so Blue could eventually eat him or whatever the fuck the other wanted his soul for. He couldn't… he shouldn't… but oh, how a seemingly growing part of his soul wanted to. He didn't know how to feel, but as he battered the canvas with evidence of his sorrow and joy, residue coating his hands and splashing down onto his femurs, he decided that maybe, just maybe, that was a question to be answered at a later date.


	8. But I Won't Refuse a Chat

Razz sat alone in an old wooden pew at the front of the city church, staring up at the polished brass Delta Rune that was mounted high above the altar. All around him, stained glass windows depicted various scenes from monster history; the war, the Prince's departure, the fallen humans, Chara, monsters being forced to live on Mt. Ebott in isolation for generations… in between each scene, the golden sigil of the delta rune shone as well, and the tile floors and grand columns only added to the sense of wonder and majesty. The sunlight streamed through them, creating a kaleidoscope of patterns that seemed to stretch endlessly. The top of the steeple towered above him, seemingly as high as the sky. Above, patterns were painted on the ceiling of every monster known to exist on the mountain, and if Razz squinted, he could see his brother, his father, and himself all close to the Froggits in the lower left corner. While monsters as a whole weren't particularly religious, they were allowed to erect churches and temples for themselves, partially as a way of better integrating into human society and partially as a method of founding meeting houses and community centers where the fragmented population could come together and thrive. While it was usually bustling, today the church was empty, as everyone was either out to lunch or enjoying their weekends, like Razz would rather be doing. Although there were far better ways he could be enjoying the weekend, it was (perhaps predictably) one of the few places where Blue couldn't follow him. (When he'd tried, the demon reacted as though he'd slammed into a wall, and the look of wounded pride mixed with resigned anger had Razz laughing for what felt like an hour before the look was directed at him and he'd run inside.)

Razz stared into the distance, a collage of memories replaying in his mind. He still felt bad for yelling at Blue, even though that was about a month ago now, and although he had no intention of apologizing then or now, the sniffles and tears did sound real enough to make the shred of compassion left in his soul ache. This was one thing he hated about being a monster; no matter how much he tried to quash the feelings, they always seemed to come back with a vengeance. He had eventually opened the door, but Blue was nowhere in sight, and Razz hadn't seen him for two whole days. Although he hadn't gone looking for the demon or anything like that, Razz had been surprised that Blue had left him alone for so long. Despite himself, he'd felt a pang of worry at the demon's absence, like an itch in his soul that warred with his triumphant survival instinct. However, when Blue did come back, it was as if nothing had changed, except that he had chuckled, dodged the question of where he'd been, and had even asked if Razz had missed him. Razz had quickly remembered why he hated that damn demon, but the worry he'd felt alarmed him greatly enough that he had felt the need to flee, to get away from it all. At that point, it was clear even to himself that he had stronger feelings for Blue than he'd thought, but at the same time, he wasn't ready to give himself up just yet. It was that desire to live that had spurred him to do some research on good hiding places, and here he was, one of the last places that he could think of to go. Against his better judgement, he had waited longer than he should have to come here, but he had wanted to see if he could hold out, if his resolve was still steady, and as the weeks went on, it was becoming more and more apparent that it wasn't.

After a few minutes of shifting restlessly, he absently rubbed at his arm, the runes thankfully not active. The peace and quiet in this place was supposed to be a welcome break from his current predicament, but it just felt stagnant and oppressive, like he didn't deserve to be in here in the first place. He gritted his teeth, the soft scraping a familiar sound in these past several months. Why was he even in here again... Right. He was going to try something drastic, as he had few other options. Stars above, his brother would die laughing if he saw. He clasped his hands tightly, bringing them to his chest, and closed his eyes.

"O Angel of Monsters, please hear me," Razz whispered, afraid of speaking loudly enough for anyone else to hear. "Please uh… I dunno. Just save me from this? I don't want to die, and I don't- fuck, why is this so hard… I don't want to lose my soul, so uh… maybe give me a sign? Something? Anything? … Ugh, this is stupid."

As Razz mentally berated himself, the sound of a door opening startled him from his thoughts. "Oh!" came a surprised voice, the rich bass as smooth and cultured as silk as it echoed around the empty church. Razz's sockets flew open, and locked onto the source of the noise. A tall goat monster with elegant horns and a purple three-piece suit strode down the aisle, gracefully maneuvering his imposing bulk into the pew Razz was sitting in. "Forgive me, young one, but may I sit here?"

Razz mutely nodded, his fear manifesting itself in the slight shivering and rattling of his bones, the sound amplifying throughout the room. "Of course, President Asgore." The larger monster's eyes widened in surprise, then alit with understanding. After a moment, the goat monster leaned over and extended a paw. "It is a pleasure to meet you, young man," he began, keeping his voice as low and gentle as possible. "My name is Asgore."

Razz nodded slightly in acknowledgement, placing his palm into the proffered paw and giving it a brief shake before snatching his hand back. "I am the President of Ebott City University, but it seems as though you knew that already," the goat monster explained. "That being said, I am somewhat surprised to see you spending your weekend in a place like this. Normally, you are all watching… the anime?"

Razz chortled, but quickly clapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. However, Asgore didn't seem offended; if anything, his smile grew a little brighter as he reached into his bag and pulled out a stainless steel canister and two cups. "I know it is slightly unorthodox to do this here inside a church, but would you like some tea, young one?" Razz peeked out from behind his hand, and slowly took a cup. Asgore unscrewed the lid and tilted the bottle, the amber liquid flowing out and catching the rays of the sun as it settled into the bottom of the purple patterned teacups. Razz slowly sipped the tea, which happened to be the perfect temperature, and found himself relaxing, the weight of the world slipping away. Sure, it wasn't permanent, but for now, it was perfect.

A few moments passed in companionable silence before Asgore hesitatingly spoke up, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "Young man, you seemed very troubled when I walked in. Is something the matter? You can tell me, I promise I won't tell."

Razz looked at him in disbelief, almost spitting out the tea. "Wha-? N-no! Nothing's wrong! Really! I just… feel stressed about school! That's all."

Asgore frowned slightly, leaning over. "Is that so? Perhaps I could help you find a tutor, or-"

"No thank you!" Razz interjected, cutting him off with a nervous laugh. "In fact, I should be going now! Thanks for the tea," he said, hastily putting the empty cup down on the pew and standing up, adjusting his clothes and heading for the door.

Asgore's frown remained, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he gathered up the cups and put them back into his inventory, also standing up. "...Young man, allow me to give you some words of wisdom before you go."

Razz had turned to leave, but the President's words stopped him in his tracks, forcing him to turn his head back to face the goat monster. Asgore slowly walked up beside him, placing the softest paw Razz had ever felt onto his shoulder. "Something I have learned over the course of my life is that bearing one's burdens alone against the rest of the world feels close to impossible. The lone wolf will eventually die of starvation, having no family or friends to fall back on." He turned to look down at Razz, wise eyes boring into Razz's wide eyesockets. "Remember that you must stay determined. Do not give up. Rely on others who care about you. After all, nobody truly goes through life alone, even in our darkest hours. Find the person who will validate you and give you strength. And most importantly… when the time comes, follow your soul, and you will see another day through."

Razz stood stunned as Asgore clapped him on the shoulder and made his way out of the church, golden light streaming onto the tile floors. After several moments, he snapped back to reality, shaking his head and heading for the open doors. The golden flowers that had been planted along the walkway were blooming, the birds were singing, the sun was shining… on days like these, people like him should be doing something productive, but he felt too uplifted to care. The university president had certainly given him some food for thought, and while it didn't solve the problem, the feeling that a stranger seemed to care so deeply for his well-being made Razz feel just a little more determined to face what would come next.

He strolled down the steps, about to turn the corner, when his instincts demanded that he stop in his tracks. In front of him, Blue was arguing with someone twice his height wearing a tacky orange hoodie and cargo pants that seemed to be hiding his entire face and form under the bulk, and as the conversation went on, he could tell that Blue was becoming more and more agitated. Razz didn't dare to interrupt, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the two, snippets of their conversation sneaking into his thoughts.

"That's cheating, Caeruleum," the other being growled. "You've got one strike against you now, and that's not going to look good when you have to report this to Alphys."

Alphys… like, his boss Alphys? What did she have to do with any of this?

Blue's spine seemed to stiffen under his robes as he glared up at the taller being, almost as if daring him to continue arguing this point. "Like I said, brother, it wasn't cheating because I didn't use it directly on my target. Besides, it's proof that I have perfect control over my magic in the field, and you know as well as I do that Alphys cares far more about that than about the rules-"

Blue had turned away from the other for only a moment, but that was all he needed to see Razz standing there, eyes wide and watching warily. "Oh, Razz!" Blue chirped, previous bad humor forgotten. "I'm so sorry I missed you coming out of church; I was all wrapped up in catching up with my brother. Why don't you come over and meet him?"

Razz stood his ground, bones softly clacking in fear despite his best efforts. Great. There were two of them now. What would he do? What could he do?

His thoughts screeched to a halt as in the blink of in eye, the hoodie-clad figure was before him, close enough for Razz to smell the scent of brimstone and ash on his bones. "Heya, kid," snarled the newcomer, the sound almost intimate if not for the complete and utter terror that Razz was experiencing in that moment. "Don'tcha know how to greet a new pal?"


	9. But I Won't Amuse Pap

Razz couldn't help but let out a shaky cough as the figure's miasma enveloped him, grasping his arm as a surge of pain traveled up his tibia like a herald announcing the demon's presence. _Smells like clay and ash and punishment,_ his brain supplied. After a moment of silence on Razz's end, the figure spoke.

"See something you like, shorty?" the other rasped. It was a low, rich voice that held a tinge of amusement in it, but held a rasp reminiscent of someone who had smoked enough cigarettes to make their lungs fall out. Razz's eyes darted back up to the other's, wariness reflected in his shrunken eyelights. He shook his head, not looking away from the creamsicle-colored fiend as the demon lit a cigarette and popped in his mouth, making rings with the smoke.

The neon demon laughed at his reaction, the breathless, grating tone causing Razz to instinctively hunch in on himself. Even though it was soft, it held a dark undercurrent of tension that set him on edge, instincts screaming at him that he had to do something or risk utter annihilation. The walking orangeade commercial drew in another drag of his cigarette, sizing him up and staring him down. Razz couldn't help but shrink away at his gaze, the other's tall stature and overwhelming aura intimidating him completely. "So you're my brother's newest toy," the demon purred. "I have to say, for being no skin and all bones, you sure do wear your heart on your sleeve."

Blue rolled his eyelights, albeit with a tinge of amusement. "That was terrible, brother. Spare us all from your banal attempts at humor and introduce yourself."

The taller one snickered, as if this were a long-running argument, and Razz took a moment to thoroughly observe the orange menace before him. Blue's brother was terribly tall, even for monster standards; if Razz had to guess, he could rival Mayor Toriel in height. He was garbed in a sickeningly neon orange hoodie that was splattered with stains of all sorts; Razz couldn't even begin to guess if the residues were ash, dust, or some other substance that he dared not think about. He wore long olive cargo shorts that were stained similarly, and grimy Converse-style shoes that were untied at the top. He also sported large horns atop his head, both bent halfway up and pointing at the ground. Razz noticed that his horns were similar to Blue's in length and size, although their shape significantly varied. But perhaps his most striking feature was his eyes. Razz felt drawn to looking at them almost the same way he had Blue's, and again, he was enraptured. If Blue's eyes were a sunless sea, then his brother's were a deep canyon, bottomless and all-encompassing, marvelous and overwhelming, unmoving and stoic despite the time and seasons.

"I guess if you're calling him Blue, then I'll go with Citrus," the demon rasped, and Razz pulled himself back to reality at the introduction. "In case you haven't guessed, I'm..."-he jerked his thumb at Blue-"...this one's older brother."

Razz trembled, although he tried his best to hide it. "S-so, are you also an arc demon?" He cursed himself at the warble in his words, his fear not fully smothered under the mask of indignation.

Citrus simply raised an eyebrow, amused, and the orange depths of his eyelights yawned in sync with his expression. "Heh, so you've got a mouth on you after all. But something tells me that _toothfully,_ you're all bark and no bite." He took another slow drag, and Razz dearly wished he had the nerve to ask if the smoke had clogged up his earholes when Citrus spoke again. "Yeah, I'm an arc demon. Arc demon of Sloth. I'm the best at doing nothing, you know, since nothing is really worth doing." He looked far too pleased with himself as he delivered that line, and Razz grimaced in response.

"So why are you here, then?" he snarled.

"Isn't it obvious?" Citrus chuckled. "I'm looking out for my bro. He's in training to become a true arc demon of the afterlife, and… well, I figured it was worth getting off my lazy butt to make sure he gets there." Razz couldn't tell if he was smiling fondly or looking like he had smelled a skunk. With a brother like Blue, perhaps it was a bit of both. "Anyway, I decided to see what was taking so long, and found that apparently, my bro and I don't quite see eye to eye on the rules." He eyed Blue with a sideways glance that seemed eerily out of place on the demon's usually calm face.

Blue sighed. "And as I told you, Aureum, it was on a technicality and therefore allowed. It was necessary for me to perform my task effectively, and I know Lacerta will take my side on this."

Razz held up his hands. "Whoa, back up. Who's Lacerta?"

Citrus snickered. "Buff yellow lizard lady, yay tall, built like a wall, super horny all the time." He chuckled on that last description, and let loose a loud guffaw at Blue's disapproving look.

"Yes, that's her," Blue said, some of his previous good humor returning as he talked about her. "She's an arc demon of Wrath, and one day, she could become as powerful as a Dominion, or… perhaps even a Seraph." His tone turned reverent as he spoke of her, almost idolatrous, and Razz suddenly felt waves of discomfort shudder up his spine, followed by a misplaced sense of relief. Had he misheard them when they mentioned Alphys's name?

"Oh, and before you get your panties in a twist, pipsqueak," Citrus intoned, interrupting his internal monologue, "Alphys is her newest nickname. She took it because she heard that someone loosely fitting her description up here was a champion weight lifter, body builder, and fry cook, and that got her so fired up that she burned her kitchen to the ground. Pretty impressive, given that we're already living in Hell."

Razz looked at him skeptically. "And how did you know I was wondering about that?"

Citrus shrugged. "I'm a judge of the damned. Emotion-reading comes with the territory."

Razz rounded on Blue, eyesockets wide. "What?! Can you do that?!"

Blue sighed in disappointment. "I'm afraid not. My brother has been an arc demon long before me, so he's developed his skills more." He punctuated that statement with a not-so-gentle elbow to his brother's gut. "Of course, if he acted a little more contrary to his vice, he could actually do much more and have advanced further by now, but I suppose that comes with the territory," he said, sounding rather resigned.

Citrus shrugged and blew another smoke ring. "I'm just not as cool as you, bro."

Blue gave a little giggle, and Razz was struck by how _monster-like_ it sounded. Without the horns and scarily vague powers of judgment, both of them could pass for regular mortals. Heck, Razz had even seen how well Blue was able to fool people!

"I know, brother!" Blue said perkily. "But that's ok; I'll be a stupendous arc demon for the both of us."

Citrus gave a shit-eating grin. "Don't you mean Blue-pendous?"

"..."

"..."

Razz and Blue shared a look, and the next several minutes were filled with assorted groans and facepalms as Citrus's shoulders heaved with laughter, smoke billowing above his head like clouds before the storm.

By the time Razz got back to his room, it was already late in the afternoon and the sun was setting so that it could get its beauty sleep for Monday. He grabbed the incense and talismans that he had nabbed from the church and set them about his room, hoping that perhaps the Angel of Monsters or some other deity would pity him enough to prevent Blue's entrance. He also set some up covertly around the dorm room common area as well-out of sight from his roommates, who were sure to complain-and hoped that they would do the job.

Once he was done, he collapsed onto his desk chair and sighed as he surveyed all of the work that he had left to do; he had sculptures to mold, sketches to submit, and a certain work in the corner that was beckoning him to return to it, to come back to the watery depths and let himself drown in his dreams.

...No, that one was definitely going to be done last.

He picked up his stencils and was about to get to work, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Swiping to unlock it, he sighed when he saw the text from his brother.

*hey we need 2 talk

Not even a half-assed insult tacked on at the end? His brother really must be pissed. He tapped a message back.

*Sorry. I'm busy right now. I'll get back to you tomorrow, ashtray."

The next message seemed to come immediately after, as if the sender had been anticipating his response.

*sure. busy. like uve been for the past 3.5 months right

Razz bit his lip. He understood his brother's anger and frustration, but he really didn't want to get him involved in all of this nonsense. Slim needed to focus on his own work, not worry about this dumb demon bullshit that Razz was dealing with.

The next text came before he had time to tap out a reply.

*i think we both know thats not gonna fly. not anymore. i left u alone all this time b/c i thought u were stressed but if yur avoiding me i wanna know why

Razz sighed and pinched his nasal ridge.

*It's complicated.

*i'm an engineer. try me

Dammit! Razz slammed his fist down on the desk, rattling the pens in the Pew Pew Missy Flutie souvenir cup that Alphys had given him. Why didn't his dumbass brother understand that Razz was trying to protect him? Sure, he had been vague in his weekly texts up until now, and had been rescheduling their meetups, and trying to-oh.

Perhaps his brother had a point about thinking he was avoiding him.

Razz weighed his options. On one hand, he could continue to blow his baby brother off and protect him from this stupidity, risking their relationship but ultimately protecting him, or risk meeting with him, thereby getting Blue involved and having to deal with what were sure to be awkward moments and questions. He sighed as he pondered the question, when he was interrupted by sharp knocking on the front door of the dorm room. Razz glanced at his wall clock. Phil or his other roommate would have let themselves in, and they weren't due back until tomorrow morning anyway, so whoever this was was most likely here for him.

The knocking continued, and he ambled over to the door. "I'm coming!" he yelled, stopping in front of the door. His hand trembled as he reached out to touch the doorknob, fingertips resting on the metallic surface. Who was it…? Blue wasn't one to knock, but if his talismans were working, then maybe he had to. Or could it be Citrus, who had some kind of unfinished business with him? Or maybe… maybe he should just open it to stop that infernal knocking!

He grabbed the doorknob, yanking it open. "Whatddya want- oof!" He was knocked off balance as a tall skeleton in a fur-lined, dark brown hoodie and black track pants barged in, slamming the door behind him and glowering at Razz, who refused to meet his eyes. The fiery plumes of his eyelights were practically radiating heat, and Razz could feel the tension rolling off of him, crackling in its intensity.

"Like I said, we need to talk."


	10. But I Won't Lose Track

With a pot of golden flower tea steeping and a plate of pastries prepared, both brothers were sitting stiffly on the lumpy green couch. Razz had turned the TV on to some mindless Napstaton drivel, and his brother sat next to him, appearing relaxed despite his tense aura and simmering eyes betraying his agitation.

Slim was wearing his usual furred, dark brown hoodie and black track pants, his ratty sneakers somehow not falling apart with every step he took. He wore a red shirt under the hoodie, with today's oh-so-humerus pun being "You're so hot I'm running a femur." His hands, long and slender, were drumming on his kneecaps, and by the way he was lying against the pillows, someone could mistake him for being as laid back as he usually was-if that someone was completely blind and couldn't read the room for shit.

Razz sighed. "Look, I didn't mean-"

"Cut the crap, Razz."

The words died in his throat, and he found that he couldn't even look toward the other, couldn't meet the other's judging expression. Instead, he attached his gaze to the floor.

Slim pulled out a lollipop, unwrapping it from the plastic and giving it a good lick. It wasn't the best replacement for his usual smokes, but Razz didn't allow him to smoke in here and he didn't want to get sidetracked by a petty argument.

"If you didn't mean to be avoiding me, you wouldn't be doin' it. So what's goin' on?" The flames of his irises stared at Razz intently, as though trying to burn a hole through his facade into his brain and let the thoughts there free.

Razz's frame started to shake, the tremors starting small but gradually intensifying.

"...You wouldn't believe me even if I tried to tell you. It would sound insane. And I don't want you to get involved."

Slim's eyelights intensified as he took in Razz's trembling form, noting how his hands had come to rest on his knees as if to hold him up. He reached over for the remote, turning the TV off. The dorm was silent.

"Razz. You can trust me. I won't laugh or anythin'. Just give it to me straight and we can go back to shooting the shit and complaining about projects."

Razz sighed. "I wish it were that easy."

Slim's fingers tightened around the lollipop stick. "Bro, whatever's happening to you, you need to tell me. I tried 'porting to your room a moment ago, and I couldn't. Something was blocking me." A note of desperation entered his voice, but he pressed on, wanting nothing more than to understand what had been happening to his brother for the past 4 months. "I didn't even know that anything _could_ block me, Razz! What is going on?"

Razz hunched in on himself, clamming up and retreating into his shell as the oppressive silence lingered.

After a moment, Slim tried another tactic. "Did you start fighting humans again?" Razz shook his head. "Are you sick?" Razz chuckled ruefully at that one, but shook his head again. Slim looked at him in confusion, not understanding the humor. "Monster hate groups? Dating advice? Where to find dog treats?" Slim rattled off a few more things, and Razz shook his head for each one. Finally, Slim let out a long sigh. "Do you need help?" Razz hesitated, and that was enough for Slim. "What do you need?" More aggressively, Razz shook his head. Slim heard the lollipop crack between his teeth as his patience finally ran out and his fists slammed into the couch cushions, slightly dislodging some of the fluff inside. "GOD DAMNIT, SANS, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET ME HELP YOU?!"

At the use of his real name, Razz slowly brought his head back up to regard his brother, and the taller almost recoiled. Razz's eyelights were gone, leaving only a twin abyss of inky blackness that stretched on forever into a 1,000 yard stare. A chilling grimace had slid onto his face at some point, and he looked so detached, so aloof that Slim almost wanted to Check him for signs of life. "Papyrus." His voice reverberated from somewhere deep within his body, and Slim unwittingly snapped to, the gravity of Razz's tone commanding his full attention. "You can't help me. Nobody can help me. I'm trying to protect you from my mistake, and even if I can't save myself, I can at least save you."

He fell silent for a moment, and Slim let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. After a moment, Razz continued, beads of magic pooling at the corners of his eyesockets and sliding down the smooth bone of his cheeks, eyelights still extinguished. "Please, Papyrus. Forget about me. Go be safe. Just leave me to-"

"No."

The word was small, but filled with unfathomable emotion. As the emotion built, so too did the words.

"No. I'm not leaving. Not until I help you with… whatever this is."

After a moment, Razz's eyelights returned, but the tears remained. Slim looked away toward the wall as he gathered his thoughts.

"When we were kicked out of Dad's house, we were stuck on the streets. I was really little, and so were you. And yet, you were always there. You taught me to read. Got me milk. Sang me to sleep. Shielded me from monsters and humans. And then, you even supported me through high school and helped me get that scholarship."

Slim pulled out another lollipop and began to suck on it, turning back toward Razz. His hands itched to inch closer to his brother's, to send him some measure of comfort, but he knew that the gesture would only cause him to pull back. He fiddled with his lolly stick instead.

"I don't know what's gotten you so worried, but I'm not leaving until I help. You may be my big bro, but I'm more capable now, and it's my turn to help you."

Razz looked at him askance, before he let out a rueful chuckle. "I don't think I've ever heard you say so much at once, shitstain."

Slim chuckled in response, the air lightening just a touch, the heat of the moment settling into something a little cooler. "What can I say, asshat? Maybe I just like the sound of my own voice."

"...You're an idiot, you know that?"

"You're always there to remind me."

Razz sighed. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. If his brother was this determined, he wouldn't refuse, and at this point, he was so, so tired of carrying this burden alone. "Alright. Well, here's what happened…"

Razz told his brother all about the summoning ritual, meeting Blue, making the contract, going to Gerson's, and everything else, not leaving anything out. He even told his brother about the bullies, although he got rather choked up halfway through. True to his word, Slim didn't laugh. He just sucked on his lollipop and regarded Razz with those burning eyelights, not looking away for even a moment. After the tale was done, Razz seemed to deflate, appearing so much smaller than Slim could ever remember seeing him. With a hesitant hand, he reached over to his brother and pulled him close, giving Razz ample time to pull away, but the answering snuggle into his furred hoodie spoke volumes.

With Razz docile for now, the gears in Slim's brain began to whirr into overdrive. As fantastical of a story as it was, at least some part of it must have been real to affect his brother this badly. Slim knew that Razz had a soul of steel, and for him to actively try and prevent Slim from getting involved meant that he had already resigned himself to whatever he thought his fate was. Even if demons and the occult sounded ludicrous, it was a starting point if nothing else, and since Razz didn't seem to mean metaphorical demons, it was the only lead he had. Slim sighed and continued licking his lollipop. It seemed that he was going to have to do some research of his own, as Razz no longer had the book that he had summoned "Blue" from. But for now…

Slight snores came from the body beside him, and a quick glance told him that Razz had drifted off against his hoodie. His thoughts stilled, replaced by warm, gentle feelings in his soul. "Didn't think I'd ever catch my bro nappin'," he chuckled, and he reached into his pocket for his phone, snapping a picture of his brother's peaceful face. To deal with all of this supernatural stuff and still try to get through school and protect him too… his brother may have been misguided, but he was still just too cool.

With surprising strength and a delicate touch, he lifted Razz up and brought him back to his room, tucking him into bed just like Razz had done for him when they were younger. After a moment's thought, he scribbled a note and left a wrapped blue raspberry lollipop next to it, so that his brother wouldn't be too freaked out in the morning. With that done, Slim left the dorm and 'ported to the librarby, searching the shelves for anything he could find on demons. He would stay all night if he had to, he promised himself, as he turned on a lamp and began to read.

Unbeknownst to him, however, a smaller figure somewhat resembling his brother was watching, swirling whirlpools of blue chasing his every step as a wide, wicked grin stretched across the demon's face. So this was Razz's brother, the demon mused. Unfortunately, he wasn't to Blue's exquisite taste, but no matter; Blue always left room in his plans for unexpected variables, and this one in particular could prove to be a fantastic solution or a quickly-settled problem. With a quiet chuckle, Blue made himself comfortable atop a grand mahogany bookcase, tapping his heels against the tomes. He already had his chosen prey in the palm of his hand; now it was time to see if this one would prove to be a worthwhile addition to the hunt.

Razz awoke the next morning feeling better than he had in a long time. Yesterday had been a rollercoaster of emotions, and he was glad that it was over. Besides, his brother…

_His brother._

Razz shot up, scanning the room. He was in his own room, in his own bed, with no Slim to be found. His eyelights swept over the desk, quickly landing on the note and lollipop, and realized that Slim must have carried him back. After convincing himself to leave his warm bastion of blankets, he hobbled to the desk and read the note, attempting to decipher his brother's nigh-unrecognizable scrawl.

"*hey bro. u passed out on me last night so i figured it was passed yur bedtime. i'll try to help u w/ yur problem. i'll let u kno if i find anything. stay safe, and dont worry; i wont let yur demon make a demonstration of u, shitbreath

Papyrus"

Razz stifled a groan at the terrible puns, but was genuinely pleased to see that his brother not only forgave him, but apparently believed his story enough to look into it. It was rather soul-warming, if he was honest with himself.

Razz took another breath, then stared at the desk with fiercely glowing eyelights. He couldn't afford to sit around here! ...and he also had class. He quickly got dressed, grabbed a breakfast burrito from the fridge, and headed out, not even stopping to worry about what Blue was up to. After all, he wasn't alone in this anymore. Despite everything, he was still here... he was still Razz.


	11. But I Won't Excuse Smack

**A/N: Hi there, everybody! Soooo... it's been about two years since I last updated this work. First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry for the long hiatus. I've fallen out of this fandom, have for a while, and I just wasn't motivated to finish this. However, I did promise that I would, and I WILL be finishing this and Melange (although I doubt I'll write for the fandom again after I finish those two).**

**The good news is: This story is completely finished. That's right, it's all sitting in my drafts folder, ready to go. You'll notice that it has a total number of chapters now. We're getting to the end.**

**This ending may feel rushed to some of you, and I understand. However, it was what I needed to do in order to wrap up the story. I did do my best with it, though, so I hope that you enjoy it, and thank you so very much for your patience!**

Razz sighed as he approached the ornate oak door. The polished brass nameplate reading Dr. Undyne: Vice-Dean of the College of Sciences stood out in the poor lighting of the administration building. He closed his eyes, trying and failing to think of some kind of pun involving backbone that Slim would have surely made in this situation, and brought his hand up to knock firmly. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a blue-scaled fish woman with coke-bottle glasses and fiery red hair tied back into a ponytail, whose nervous yet sinister aura seemed to intimidate, or at the very least turn off, just about everyone she met. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she and Razz were a little too similar to feel comfortable around one another.

"O-oh, you're here! Great. Well, c-come on in, Razz."

She beckoned him in, welcoming him to her office. Razz took a seat in one of the plush chairs in front of the worn oak desk, and glanced around the room, begrudgingly admiring the many new knick-knacks Dr. Undyne had stuffed into her already overflowing shelves. There were bookcases filled with various awards that she'd won and papers she'd written, along with books and bits at odds with the ends. On another shelf was her collection of Pew Pew Missy Flutie merchandise, including a toy that if you squeezed it would play the show's theme song, and a surprisingly untouched container of officially branded ramen that rounded out the display.

As Razz took in his surroundings, Dr. Undyne took her seat in the old office chair behind the desk and loudly cleared her throat. "A-a-hem. Now, today is your yearly advisory session, Razz. Let's go over your future plans."

Razz grimaced. He had always hated these sessions; all of the monsters attending this school had either Dr. Undyne or Professor Bob as their advisors, and it was his dumb luck that had landed him with her. It wasn't that he disliked her as a monster, it was just that… well, he had never liked _talking_ with her. It was like her superpower was making things awkward. "Yeah, alright. Um. They haven't changed."

Dr. Undyne pulled up his file on her desktop and looked it over, humming as she read. "Y-yes, yes, I see. You're continuing to major in physics with a minor in traditional art, correct?"

Razz nodded, keeping his gaze glued to the desk. Dr. Undyne audibly swallowed, but continued. "I see that you've been keeping your grades up as well. I-I suppose you're all set to graduate, then."

Razz nodded, focused on a photo of Dr. Undyne and his manager at the beach, the two of them smiling and holding hands. It was really cute, if he was being honest.

"...Razz, hello?" Dr. Undyne sighed, exasperated. "P-please, I know that th-these drag on, but I just n-need one more thing b-before you're done."

Razz tore his gaze away from the safety of the photo, reluctantly meeting her gaze. "What's that?"

Dr. Undyne adjusted her glasses. "If you need help, please tell me."

Razz blinked as his advisor continued. "Your brother has been exceedingly worried about you, and I can tell that you're struggling with _something. _Please, whatever it is, know that you have people who care about you."

Razz gulped, his words failing him. "I… do?" He unconsciously rubbed at his arm.

Dr. Undyne nodded. "You do. You have your brother. You have me. You have your roommate Phil, I'm sure. You have hobbies that you enjoy. You… have quite a bit left to live for, Razz. If you feel that you're in danger of Fall-"

"No!" Razz yelled, standing up out of the chair and slamming the desk with his palms. The room was silent a moment, his advisor trailing off and looking at him with wide, wavering eyes.

Razz lifted his trembling hands slowly from the desk, and turned to leave, knowing that if he looked back at her now, he might actually say something, and he knew that he would regret it. "Sorry about that. I'm alright. I'll get through this. Thank you for your concern." Without another word, he left, the door slamming closed behind him as he broke into a run, dashing out of the administration building, across the campus, not stopping until he was standing outside of his residence building. With trembling hands, he opened the door, taking the elevator up to his floor. His body was on auto-pilot, his mind not quite able to handle much else. It wasn't like he _wanted _to die, but…

His feet stopped in front of the door to his dorm. He pulled out the key, making a beeline straight for his room, and locked the door behind him, collapsing on the bed. Why? Why did she have to care so much? Why did _he _care that she cared? And why was it that he only felt like he really understood just how much he had going for him when his life was in danger of ending? Razz pressed his palms to his eyesockets and groaned. This wasn't even to mention how _comfortable _he had become with Blue over the past 6 months since he'd met the demon. He and Slim had been searching for all sorts of things, to no avail. They'd tried more talismans, salt, "holy water," silver, and just about everything else; unfortunately, they hadn't come up with any truly conclusive results, yet the fact remained that they had tried so many experiments, and in an odd way, it seemed to have brought them closer together. Even before Blue's arrival, it had been some time since they had spent more than a bit of time together here and there when their schedules had lined up, and being in the laboratory with his brother had been more fun than Razz had expected. If only those days could go on forever, he thought, but… well. Best not to wish for the impossible. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep soon after, envisioning himself wrapped in chains of irony that only seemed to grow tighter as he struggled.

THREE HOURS EARLIER

"Well, well! This is rather unexpected," Blue chirped, coming to stand face to face with Slim. The taller skeleton said nothing, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag before blowing it out.

"Glad you got my message; see, I have a bone to pick with you."

"I sure did! You really were quite clear about it, leaving it on Razz's window for me to see." Blue then gave a comical pout, his oddly malleable anatomy on display as his bottom "lip" jutted out. "But really, what business do you have making me come alllllll the way out here when Razzy is-"

"DON'T. Call my brother that."

"Oooooh, someone's prickly! I guess you can't help but be protective of your brother, huh? After all, he tried his very best not to get you mixed up in all of this, and yet, here you are, getting involved of your own volition. Mwee hee hee! I can only imagine what your dearest big brother would say to that, after everything he's done to protect you."

Slim grit his teeth, the cigarette folding almost in half between his teeth. "Shut up. Don't act like you know anythin' 'bout love, or loyalty, or affection. You're here to get Razz to give up his SOUL, and in exchange, you give him the illusion of being wanted and loved. I dunno why he can't see he's had that this whole time, but the real deal is way more important than whatever _bullshit _you're trying to feed him!"

At this, the smile seemed to slip off Blue's face, and a shiver suddenly slipped down Slim's spine, an unconscious sensation of wanting to jerk back, to retreat, filling him.

"Now why would you go and say a stupid thing like that…?" Blue asked, looking down at the ground. However, his tone carried perfectly clearly, oddly serious and quiet in a way that Slim, with his limited dealings with the demon, instinctively felt was _dangerous. _"Maybe _Razzy _didn't explain it to you well, but what I'm offering isn't an _illusion. _As an arc demon of Pride, my goal is to give him _exactly _what he wants until he gives in and makes a wish in exchange for his SOUL. I _want _to make him happy. And while I have never known love for its textbook definition, what you have just said _irks _me in a way that I find extremely difficult to describe."

The shorter skeleton then looked up, locking gazes with Slim, and the tall monster went cold, his SOUL quivering as he faced down the steely, icy, immortal gaze of the demon before him. "Ah. No, I understand. You have attempted to wound my Pride. Wound the very essence of my being by claiming that I do not know the very nature of that which I offer. And to you, and all of the others who doubted me, I would take this moment to remind you… I am not soft. Nor am I hollow. Rather… I simply know what both my own and the mortal heart want, and upon my Pride, _I shall deliver it."_

Before Slim's eyes, Blue's form began to pulse and change, revealing his horns, his runes, his true appearance unmasked at last. The demon raised a hand, and Blasters appeared out of thin air, the bone constructs baring razor-sharp fangs. Slim instinctively summoned his own, and not a moment too soon; his bones deflected the blasts, but two smouldering craters scarred the earth, the power of his opponent undeniable. "You called me here to fight me, mortal?" the embodiment of Pride laughed. "Then _so be it._"

Razz woke with a groan, shaking his head as he came out of his stupor. It took him a moment to register what it was that had roused him, blinking back sleep as his eyelights finally settled on his vibrating, ringing phone. He picked it up, perplexed; why was "Royal Asshat" coming up? Slim never called. Razz sighed, accepting the call. "What is it, asshole?"

"Awwww, Razzy, that's so mean~!" crooned Blue's voice from the other end, and Razz almost dropped the phone in shock. "But I'll forgive you, just this once. Mind coming to meet me at Ebott City Hospital? Your brother's not feeling too good-"

Razz ended the call, already moving. What had happened to Slim? He only had 1 HP for the Angel's sake! What if something had… what if _Blue _had done something… No. Blue, for all he was and wasn't, wouldn't do something like that unprovoked, would he? There was no way the little demon's Pride would drive him to force a scenario in which Razz would use up his wish trying to save Slim. That… that couldn't be it.

Razz refused to think about it further, and once he reached the lobby of his residence hall, sprinted outside and freed his bike from the stand. Tossing the lock and key into the basket at the front, he headed off in the direction of the hospital, hoping and dreaming that Slim would be alright.

It took him about 10 minutes to get there, and as soon as he had found a convenient lamppost to chain his bike to, he was running inside, about to beg the receptionist for information when a bony hand grabbed his. He turned to see Blue, who gave him a wink and dragged him along, dashing down the corridors and up some stairs until they got to a hospital room at the end of one hallway. Blue ushered Razz in, quickly scanning the hallway to check that there was nobody around before stepping aside himself. As soon as he closed the door behind him, however, he was met with Razz's fist inches away from his face. "What. Did. You. Do." Razz snarled, "lip" curled back and baring his false fang. His eye ridges were drawn together in anger, and despite the fact that Razz was not generally considered a threatening person in general, his aura suggested that were Blue not a demon, he would be the next in a hospital bed.

Blue blinked, processing the statement, then sighed, pushing Razz's fist away with a single phalange. He walked toward the bed, his back to Razz as he stared down at Slim, who was hooked up to several beeping machines but appeared stable enough. "Your brother challenged me to a fight with our Pride on the line. He lost."

It was Razz's turn to blink. "What in the everloving fuck does that-"

"_Quiet,_" Blue intoned. "I'm not finished." Razz shut up.

"Papyrus staked his pride as your brother on the line. Having found no other solution to the problem of my being here, he decided that he would gamble it all on a battle that he didn't think he would walk away from."

Razz stood there, mouth agape. "But… _why?_"

Blue walked away from the bedside, instead shuffling to the window and looking out into the night, the moon glowing beautifully in the otherwise starless sky. "Because he loves you. And he would give up everything for you, even knowing he had next to no chance of victory, because he values your bond so highly. Because you gave him the best chance at living he could have at your own expense, and so he chose to bet his life to save your SOUL."

Blue turned away from the window then, locking gazes with Razz, and the monster could see the emotion swirling in the blue waters of the demon's eyes. "It was his Pride, Razz. His pride as your brother, as one who refused to stand by while something overwhelming was happening to you. In return, I answered him with my own pride. He asserted that the happiness, the gifts, and the companionship I offer you aren't real, that they're but an illusion. My pride simply could not let that stand."

A cold grip suddenly surrounded Razz's SOUL. "Then… are you going to take his SOUL?"

Blue blinked, then looked away, an emotion that Razz couldn't pinpoint on his face. "No. He isn't my target; as delicious as his SOUL would be, and by right, I could, I also feel that since this was due to a misunderstanding and my point has been made, then I have no reason to take his SOUL."

Razz suddenly felt all of the tension drain out of him, and he sighed, a smile somehow coming to his face despite the circumstances. Blue frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just… relieved, I guess."

"Relieved?"

"Yeah. For a bit, I wondered if you would have injured him just to make me use my wish on him. But then I thought 'he would never do that. That's not the kind of person he is.' For the longest time, I didn't want him involved because I wondered what would happen if he did interfere, but… like I thought, you're not like that."

Razz trailed off, the smile fading away into a tense expression of worry as Blue continued to scrutinize him. "Is that truly what you think of me, Razz?"

Razz swallowed, a bead of sweat rolling down his cranium at the seriousness in Blue's voice. "Well, yeah! Sure, you're really annoying and all… but you want me to give in because you'll give me exactly what I want. Hurting my brother for no reason isn't it. Besides, you may be a demon, but…"

Razz clenched his jaw, feeling almost vulnerable under Blue's piercing stare, and the words he'd known but didn't want to say started to protest, desperate to come out. "...I trust you."

The arc demon stared at Razz, utterly still, and Razz suddenly wondered if time was still moving, the moment extending far past a mere second, more beads of sweat beginning to roll down the side of his skull, and then before he could think, Blue was right before him.

"Razz. May I kiss you properly?"

Razz's eye sockets went wide at the question, and he trembled; his very SOUL started to feel warm. However, Blue simply held his gaze, waiting. A myriad of emotions bubbled up in Razz's SOUL; the suspicion and worry reared up, but also came… acceptance. Gratitude. Even a hint of attraction. Quietly, Razz breathed, and he nodded at Blue. Blue's hands came up to caress his cheekbones, which he belatedly had taken on a reddish tinge, and gently pressed his teeth to Razz's, who after a moment of hesitation, pushed back, a small spark of magic fluttering between them at the touch. Razz slowly brought his hands up to Blue's shoulder, resting them there gently, and after a moment, the demon pulled away. "Who would have thought… that you would understand me better than most any other demon I know…?" He gave an easy smile, not as big as others Razz had seen but… more gentle somehow. "I knew that I made a good choice coming to you, Razz. You are so, so much more than I expected. I may not know what the conventional definition of love is, but you… you have become so very precious to me. I think… that I will be sad when I have to leave you."

Razz's breath caught in his throat. That was hardly the confession he had expected, and yet… it seemed so much more genuine than most of Blue's other attempts. As he contemplated this, Blue stepped around him, walking out of the room and down the hallway without another word, the moon casting a long shadow in his wake. Razz watched him go; in that moment of vulnerability, that moment of quiet, Blue had confessed a great many things. The monster brought a hand to his sternum, just above his SOUL; perhaps, despite their differences, loneliness was something both monsters and demons could understand.


	12. But I Won't Do As Asked

Razz breathed serenely as he lay against the tall trunk of an oak tree. A cool and easy wind was blowing through, slipping lightly between tree branches as it hurried to and fro. 7 months. It had been 7 months since he and Blue had made their initial contract. 7 months since this insane, bizarre, terrifying, magical journey had started. It had been ridiculously awful at some points, yet wonderful at others. Perhaps like all things, it could be boiled down to one of the tenets of physics: for every reaction, there was an equal and opposite reaction, and oddly enough, he was finally starting to feel like he'd found some damn equilibrium. He touched his arm. It had been stinging like a bitch this past week, but even its ache was familiar. Who knew that things would progress to this point, where he would welcome it as an indicator that-

"There you are, Razz!" Blue called, appearing a short way away from him. The little blue demon practically pranced over to the monster, putting his hands on his knees as he looked down, giving him a wide grin. "It's so rare for you to call _me_! Usually you blather on about needing space, while making that cute pout of yours, but oh, how exciting it is that the tables have turned! Now then! What do you want to ask about?"

Razz sighed. Right. Time to get to the heart of it. "Blue, I need to know some things about this wish."

"O-oh." Razz raised a brow ridge. Blue… was hesitant? Not once since he'd known the demon had Razz thought of Blue as _hesitant. _"Erm… yes! Of course! What do you wish to know?"

Putting that thought aside for now, Razz sighed, focusing. "When I make my wish, you'll grant it to me, disappear, and when I die, take my SOUL, right?"

The demon nodded, eyelights growing slightly dim. "That is correct. Your wish should be what you want most, something that only I can provide, and then once your life ends, I will return and your SOUL will be mine. Naturally, most people summon demons already knowing what they want, but as you know by now, you are an unusual case."

Razz nodded. "Alright. Then that makes this easy then." The skeleton monster stood up from the tree trunk, the diminutive demon following his lead.

"Uh, Razz, where…" He trailed off as Razz took his hand, the magics flowing through each of their bodies seeming to spark where they touched.

"C'mon!" the skeleton monster growled, a blush on his face. "I had enough trouble working up the nerve to do this; the least you could do is throw me a bone!"

Suddenly, his conscious mind registered the not one, but _two _unintentional puns that had come out of his mouth, and his jaw dropped, a similar expression mirrored on Blue's face, until laughter followed in disbelief's wake. "Mwee hee hee!" Blue chortled, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Feh heh heh!" Razz laughed, their laughter seeming endless. It was odd; normally Razz would have been beyond embarrassed, and Blue hadn't seemed to like puns that much either, but like many of the small, secret moments they shared, they could make exceptions for each other. What an odd feeling, to be vulnerable in front of someone like this.

Razz wiped a tear from his own eye, not having let go of Blue's hand. "Alright, but really. Let's go; I've finished something I've been working on for quite a while."

They walked back to Razz's dorm, striking up conversation along the way. They fell into it naturally, just allowing their thoughts and feelings to flow naturally, and Razz felt an odd stab of disappointment at being back so soon. He brought Blue upstairs, taking the inside the dorm and telling him to wait a moment as he dipped into his room and removed all of the talismans and medallions, becking Blue in once he had finished.

Blue looked around the room in wonder, this being the first time he had ever been inside. "It's beautiful, Razz." The sheets of paper fluttering in the wind of the fan, the physics textbooks in harmonious coexistence with the art tools, and in the corner was…

Blue's breath caught as he saw the finished portrait. It was… a portrait of himself, in his mortal guise. His first thought was that he looked… soft. Inviting. The minute details also told a story, from the careful shading of the dips and curves of his skull to the proportionally sized vertebrae of his neck and spine, to his easy yet genuine grin and the _smile _Razz had added to his eyes. It was a _kind _picture, rendered by someone who thought _fondly_ of him, and the feeling burst out of him in the form of tears, cascading down his cheeks as he admired this almost angelic portrayal of himself, feeling dirty just looking at it.

"Aw, fuck!" Razz swore from the doorway. "Shit! Do you not like it? Aw damn it, I fucked up again-"

"No!" Blue choked out, refusing to allow Razz to have that misconception for even a moment. "No, it's… it's beautiful. It's… it's far too good for me, Razz. I'm a demon, and yet in your eyes, I'm…!"

Razz broke out of his self-deprecating trance long enough to take a breath and walk over to Blue, placing a gentle hand on his spine. "You're… just what I needed." Blue paused a moment, looking up at Razz, who continued to look steadfastly at the painting. "Blue, I've… Ever since I got kicked outta my shitty dad's house, I've felt so _alone _except fer Slim, and even then, I've felt like since college started, he's passin' me, and all I can see is his back. I never had friends. I never felt like others cared about me." Razz swallowed. "But you… you came into my life like a wrecking ball and ended up giving me everythin' I could've wanted. And even though I resisted, you persisted, so… here we are. And I'm not bein' cheeky here, but… I think you probably feel somethin' deeper for me too, so…" He scratched the back of his skull. "Thanks. For everythin'. And I've decided that I'm ready."

He paused, waiting for Blue to say something. When the demon said nothing, Razz hesitated but a moment, and sat on his bed. "I'm uh, obviously pretty new to this, but uh, I-"

Suddenly, Blue stood up, and ran out of the room, then the dorm. Razz watched, mouth agape, until his wits returned and he burst out running after the demon. "BLUE! H-hey! Wait! What's wrong!?"

The demon did not slow down however, and ran outside the building, all the way to the nearby park in which Razz had summoned him so many moons ago. The afternoon sun beat down on them, and Razz panted in exertion. "Blue! What the fuck!?"

Blue did not answer him, however, and looked around, his eyelights finally settling on a woman sitting on a bench nearby, reading, as her kid played on the swings. Slowly and purposefully, Blue strode over to them. Razz shook his head, utterly perplexed, and followed. "Blue, what-WHAT!?"

Razz yelped as he was thrown on his ass by a surge of power emanating from Blue, his mortal disguise melting away in front of the woman and the kid. "AHHHHHHH!" They screamed in unison, panicking and tripping over themselves as they rushed to get away. Razz could only watch as Blue returned to his natural demonic state, his robes settling atop his form and his marvelous horns reappearing. Nearby, other people screamed as they took in his appearance, and humans and monsters alike fled from the park in all directions as Blue finished his transformation.

"Ahhh," the demon sighed, his return to his natural state complete. He turned toward Razz, looking at him with strangely kind eyes. "Razz. I'm sorry, but… This is where we part ways."

Razz stared at the demon, dumbfounded. "Wha… what are you talking about!? You haven't granted my wish yet!"

Blue huffed, a resigned smile coming to his face. "I know. And once again, I'm sorry. But this way… you won't have anything to worry about."

"HE might not, but YOU will!" boomed a loud voice, and suddenly, the sky above them turned dark, as though a storm was brewing, and the Earth split open to allow a buff lizard lady that looked remarkably similar to Alphys to step out onto the surface. Instinctively, Razz knew she was _trouble. _Based on Blue's descriptions, this could only be Lacerta, arc demon of wrath, and while he and Citrus had been right on the money, she was WAY more intimidating than Alphys could ever be.

The familiar smell of smoke suddenly hit him, and he looked back to the fissure to see that behind Lacerta was Citrus, still in his hoodie and cargo shorts, but wearing a far more somber expression. The two arc demons approached Blue, and Razz risked a glance at him to see that he looked oddly resigned. "Brother. Lacerta."

Lacerta sighed. "Why'd you do it? I let it go when you were just skirting the rules, but for you to break one like this means we'd have to take you back on suspension and retest you to even see if you're _worthy, _not to mention that you've dragged my name AND your brother's through the mud! Where the hell did your PRIDE go, Caeruleum?!" she yelled, slapping the intimidatingly large battleaxe strapped to her back.

"I have no excuse," Blue murmured, and Razz, Lacerta, and Citrus all flinched at his tone. "I cannot fulfill my contract with him, and there was no other way to break it."

Razz recoiled, SOUL fluttering. "But… wait! What about my year and a day!?"

"That's a fairytale, Razz," Blue continued in that same flat tone. "If you hadn't made a wish by then, you would have simply died, and I would have been obligated to claim your SOUL then and there."

Razz's eyes widened in shock, and he slumped, disbelieving. In hindsight, Blue had never confirmed that the time limit factoid was accurate, but… all this new knowledge did was make it clear how by doing this, Blue had chosen to save his life despite the fact that he might never become an arc demon.

"I'll ask you again, Caeruleum," Lacerta growled. "Why. Did. You. Do. It."

Blue exhaled, locking eyes with his mentor. "My Pride demands it. You see, I had every intention of ripening this mortal's soul to its full flavor before devouring him. And yet, somehow, along the way, I asked him if even the worst person could change. Back then, I thought I was talking about him." Blue turned his head, meeting Razz's worried gaze, and giving a genuine smile. "Now, I realize that I was talking about myself. Razz has given me so very much. I made him happy, but he too made me happy in ways I had never known I wanted. While I do feel bad that I had to bring shame upon you and Brother, my Pride demands that I protect the one who has done me so much good, the one who looks at me and sees not a future arc demon, not Caeruleum, but… Blue. Somehow, I have come to love that name."

The demon closed his eye sockets. "I understand that I will be punished for my failure, but in accordance with the law, Razz's contract will expire, and he will go free."

Lacerta watched him for several long moments, then turned to Razz, anger and frustration evident in every movement she made, until she tightened her jaw and walked over to Blue, slapping handcuffs on him. "_Fine. _You've made your choice, although it was a poor one. Mortal, you're free to go," her voice boomed, and Razz gasped as his arm exploded in agony, the runes and sigils on it tearing themselves away and gathering in Lacerta's hand.

"WAIT!"

The three demons stopped, and turned to Razz, eyes collectively widened with shock. Panting, Razz stood up, facing them. "Wait. He owes me my wish, and I know what I want."

Lacerta growled. "Don't you GET IT!? Caeruleum did all of this so you WOULDN'T have to give up your SOUL! Are you going to just SPIT on what he's doing for you, you ingrate-"

Razz turned to Citrus, who regarded him with an unreadable expression. "Citrus. I wanna make a contract with you."

The demons stared at Razz like he'd suddenly become a demon himself.

"You… you…" Lacerta stuttered, grabbing for axe until Citrus extended an arm.

"And what _do _you want, Razz?" Citrus's raspy voice cut in, interrupting the lizard-like demon. "What are you on about?"

Razz gulped. "I wish… that the demon Caeruleum would stay by my side until the day that I die, and in exchange, at the time of my death, my SOUL is yours."

Silence. The storm overhead did not rumble, the birds in the trees did not utter a sound. All was silent, still, until-

"FUCK no!" Lacerta bellowed. "Nuh-uh! He doesn't have the _authority _to grant that kinda wish! And even if he did, there's no way Caeruleum would be allowed to escape his punishment! It's a no-go!"

"That's...not entirely true." Lacerta, Citrus, and Razz jerked their heads towards Blue, who up until now had been silent. "Should I accept the punishment of eternal banishment to live life as a mortal, I would not only absolve my mentor and brother of shame, but…"

Citrus chuckled. "...I'd be able to fulfill a wish that just so happened to land in my lap. What else could an arc demon of sloth ask for?" The tall skeleton-shaped demon grinned. "Heh. You really are too cool, bro." Slowly, he walked over to Blue, and hugged him tightly, Blue burying his skull into his brother's hoodie. "I'd ask if yer sure, but since you brought it up, I'm not gonna say nothin'. You're a _bonehead_, heh heh, but _I'm_ happy you found what really makes_ you _happy."

"Mwee hee hee… Thank you, Brother. I'll miss you, but it won't be too long," Blue replied, graciously overlooking his brother's terrible punning. Citrus stepped back as Lacerta stepped forward. She crouched down to Blue's height and sighed.

"I always thought you were too nice to be an arc demon. Still, never thought it would turn out like this." She gave him a firm slap on the back that had the little demon reeling as she gave a fond sigh. "You'll do just fine… Blue."

She stepped back and took a deep breath. "Caeruleum. By the power vested in me as an arc demon, and seconded by a Judge, I hereby banish you to wander the mortal realms. Your demonic power and name is hereby stripped from you, as is your authority. Brace yourself!" With a mighty roar, the manacles around Blue's wrists began to smoke like red-hot iron, and the demon let out a scream, collapsing to his knees as smoke billowed out from his body.

"BLUE!" Razz yelled and reached out a hand, but Citrus quickly grabbed it, holding him back.

"Wait it out," the demon murmured. They stood in silence as Blue's screams dwindled, the smoke surrounding him completely, until the manacles slipped off, landing heavily in the grass, and Blue fell to the grass in his mortal guise, now truly and utterly a monster.

Razz broke free of Citrus and lifted the newly-minted skeleton, holding him tenderly. "Blue… Blue, can ya hear me?"

"Mmm… Razz?" came the reply, and Blue slowly opened his completely mortal eyesockets, giving Razz a fond smile. "Razz… it worked. I'm mortal now."

"Heh. And that means we can make that contract," Citrus smirked, walking over to them both. "Since banishment doesn't just mean you can do whatever you like, I'm gonna have to ask ya to also join in on this contract, bro. Then no other demons can come and wreck yer party."

Blue nodded, taking Razz's hand, and Citrus offered out both of his. "Razz and Blue. Do you both hereby enter into a contract with me, the two of you living out your mortal lives together until death, at which time I will come to claim both of your SOULs?"

Razz and Blue turned to each other and grinned. "We do!" they said in unison, taking Citrus's hands.

"Then it's sealed," the arc demon grinned, and like before, runes wrapped around Razz and Blue's left arms, proof of their contract etched into their ulnae. "Congratulations," Citrus rasped, a smile on his skeletal face. "You're now bound together, 'til death do you part."


	13. But I Won't Be Glued to the Past

"Congratulations, Razz!" Blue chirped, applauding for his bonefriend as all of the Ebott City University graduates filed out of the gymnasium. Razz clutched his Art Studies diploma proudly, hardly believing that this (and the very emotional hand [paw?] shake with President Asgore) was real; at first, it had seemed like just a pipe dream, and now… now, he had so much to look forward to. "I think Brother should be just about done with your stuff," Blue giggled, interrupting his thoughts, and Razz sighed.

"So long as he doesn't break anything, that is." The two got back to the dorm to see an RV parked out front, Citrus helping Slim, Alphys, and Dr. Undyne load in some boxes.

"Heyyyyy, there're the skeletons of the hour," Alphys called cheerfully, Dr. Undyne holding her hand. The scaled scientist gave them a shy wave, having already changed out of the ceremonial attire she'd worn for graduation. "We're all done loading you up! You can just cruise on outta here."

Slim and Citrus walked over to the two, looking down at them fondly. "Heh," Slim chuckled, crunching on his lolly, "you're gonna have a great time, bro. See all the sights, and tell me all about 'em."

Razz chuckled, and flipped his brother off. "Only if you come out and visit once in a while, douchecanoe. Don't act like you can't."

"Fine, fine," Slim chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender as Citrus patted Blue's head.

"Take care of yerself, li'l bro. Maybe I'll also drop in if I have the _spine._"

Blue groaned, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in annoyance. "Please, brother, spare me." However, a moment later, he wrapped his arms around his brother's middle, giving him a big hug. "Take care of yourself. I know it's a lot of work, but you must."

Citrus gave a huff and a little smile, one arm holding his cigarette as the other wrapped around his little brother. "Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't want to disappoint my cool li'l bro who looks up to me so much."

Alphys laughed as she watched them, Undyne giving her an adoring look. "Ok, ok, ya saps! These two wanna get going, so we're gonna let 'em!"

She walked over to Razz, giving him a huge hug and almost causing him to snap in two. "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd leave Ebott City, squirt, but have fun on your road trip! You'd better mail me stuff!"

Razz smirked once she let him go, rubbing his spine with one hand and giving her a fistbump. "Only if I remember, fishguts!"

The two smaller skeletons pulled away from their friends and family, taking each other's hands and nodding as they got into the RV. Razz hopped into the passenger seat, already shuffling through the songs on his playlist, as Blue got in the driver's seat and turned the ignition, the RV roaring to life.

Razz looked out the window at his friends and family, a small smile on his face. To think he'd be here now with the one he'd once called a nuisance, stupidly attempting some occult magic and actually managing to get away with it in the end. Now, it felt like a fairytale or a dream, but looking over at Citrus, who gave him a slow and lazy wink, and at Blue, who was reading the owner's manual for the RV, it was clear that this was indeed real.

"Goodbye, Razz! Stay safe!" Dr. Undyne called, Alphys laughing as she waved. Citrus and Slim simply put their hands in their pockets and looked at the camper fondly, watching their brothers pull away from the curb and set off on their adventure.

Once they were well on their way, Blue and Razz shared a look. "So, Razz, what's our first destination?" Blue asked, a wide grin on his face.

"Who the fuck knows?" Razz retorted, his own wide grin matching his bonefriend's. "We'll just have to see when we get there."

~The End~


End file.
